13 | March | 2013 | Bewitching Kitchen

Phil came up with this recipe about a year ago, and it quickly became a favorite of ours. The idea is to go to the store and get three kinds of seafood, whatever looks best. Add to that one vegetable: we usually alternate between broccoli, broccolini (love the stuff!) and asparagus. Lately we’ve been adding fresh shiitake mushrooms too. This is a very healthy yet substantial meal, in which the pasta is a minor component to give us just the carbs we need.

SEAFOOD EXTRAVAGANZA PASTA
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

Pick three of the following options:
Sea scallops
Large shrimp
Salmon filets
Lobster tails
Ahi tuna filets

Choose one of these veggies:
Broccoli
Broccolini
Asparagus

Fresh shiitake mushrooms, caps only
Pasta (corkscrew, farfalle, fusilli)
A couple of lemons, juice and zest
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1 Tbsp vermouth
Thyme
salt and pepper

Add the 1/4 cup olive oil to a small bowl, squeeze the juice of 1 lemon, season with salt and pepper, and add the thyme. Whisk well to form an emulsion. Use that to brush the seafood you intend to grill.

Slice the mushroom caps very thin, cut the broccoli in florets, if using asparagus or broccolini cut them in 1 inch pieces. Saute’ the mushrooms in 1 Tbsp olive oil, when they are almost tender season with salt and pepper and add the vermouth and lemon zest. Cover and cook for a couple of minutes. Keep warm. Cook the veggies either in a little salted water or by steaming. If using broccoli, shock them in cold water to keep the bright green color. Reserve.

Start grilling the seafood (salmon, lobster tail, or ahi tuna). Sautee the shrimp and scallops on 1 Tbsp olive oil, seasoning with salt and pepper. Make sure not to over-cook the scallops and saute’ them in extra-high heat to sear the surface. Cook the pasta to have it ready once all the rest of the food is done. Reserve some of the pasta water in case you need it.

Once the pasta is done, drain it, put it back in the pan, add the mushrooms and broccoli, mix well. If needed, add a little of the pasta water. Transfer to a serving bowl, and add all the seafood on top, cutting the salmon (and lobster tails, if using) in large chunks. Keep the scallops and shrimp whole. A squeeze of lemon juice all over the serving bowl is a nice final touch.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

(click to enlarge)

Comments: I won’t sugar-coat the pill, this dish requires some effort so that all ingredients are ready at the same time for the final assembly. We always like to cook salmon and lobster tail on the grill, whereas the scallops and shrimp are sautéed on the stove. Same for veggies and mushrooms. You get the picture. It is much easier if you and your partner (or friend, parent, sibling, room-mate, neighbor) cook this together. However, usually Superman Phil is adamant about doing it all by himself. I am left watching him dash through the kitchen to the grill and back, spatula in hand, kitchen towel hanging from one shoulder, pasta water furiously boiling, and the dogs hoping that with all that activity some stuff might follow the Law of Gravity all the way to the kitchen floor. Sometimes, it does happen… But, once all is said and done, we are rewarded with a great dinner! See my plate? I go heavy on the scallops. I am not ashamed and will fight for the biggest, juiciest ones. 😉

The pasta plays a completely secondary role. This is a dish centered on seafood and supported by a nice helping of broccoli. Squeeze some more lemon juice right before indulging… And, if that was not enough seafood for a meal, I’ll tell you what we love to have as appetizer before this dinner. All of a sudden, Wednesday evening feels like a party! 😉