Pasta al Nero di Seppia con Capesante al Burro Nocciola e Alfredo ai Pomodori Secchi

Squid Ink Pasta with Seared Scallops & Sun-Dried Tomato Alfredo
Servings: 4
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

This is a natural evolution of a dish we've been cooking for years; scallops with cuttlefish ink spaghetti, only lately did we modify a formerly simple cheese sauce into a more complex sauce using sun dried tomatoes and more cream (and less cheese) to get a better flavor profile to compliment the rich umami of the spaghetti and savory scallops poached in garlic infused browned butter and Rosé of Pinot Noir. The pickled shallots was a new touch for me as well, looking for that delightful touch of acidity to break up all the rich flavors.

If I could change anything, I'd probably pan fry some prosciutto into crispy little nuggets of salted pig deliciousness to give the crunchy texture this was missing, though flavor-wise I can't think of how to improve this dish.

When I lived in Italy, I spent a lot of time in Venezia. I lived for two years (not counting times away for training) in Veneto, in the outskirts of Vicenza, then another two years in Sacile, across the border from Veneto in Friuli-Venezia Giulia (also, don't count the more than a year of that four year timeline I spent in Afghanistan... Still, Italy was home!)

While Venezia was an amazing locale for seafood - I first tried cuttlefish and then cuttlefish ink pasta there - and obviously, scallops were available all over. Various seafoods were used to make amazing stocks for risotto, and there were countless wonderful seafood dishes in Venezia.

But the rest of Italia Nordest makes me think of rich meat and cream sauces with simple pastas that always made me feel like I was "home."

The alfredo with sun-dried tomatoes was the new star of the show though, even if it didn't bring the most surprise to the mouth in terms of the overall dish. It was so good I found myself in the kitchen later in the evening taking hunks of cold spaghetti from the bowl of leftovers and scraping the bits out of the pan to eat it all.

The most interesting addition was the pickled shallots to grace the scallops. It changed the entire complexity of flavors in the mouth, punching up that creamy sauce, rich scallop, and salty pasta into a perfect flavor crescendo.

Molte bene!

Recipe

Ingredients

For the Squid Ink Pasta:

• 1.25 cups Tipo 00 flour
• 1.25 cups semolina flour
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1.25 tsp cuttlefish ink

For the Brown Butter Scallops:

• 4 tbsp Irish unsalted butter
• 1/4 shallot, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 medium scallops
• 1 cup Rosé of Pinot Noir

For the Sun-Dried Tomato Alfredo:

• 2 tbsp Irish unsalted butter
• 1/4 shallot, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 6.5 oz sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil, drained, finely chopped)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup 2% milk
• 3/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, freshly grated

For the Pickled Shallots:

• 1/2 shallot, sliced into rings
• 1/3 cup white wine vinegar
• 2 tsp honey

For Plating:

• 4 tsp balsamic pearls

Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the Squid Ink Pasta Dough

1. In a large bowl, mix Tipo 00 flour and semolina flour.
2. Create a well in the center and add eggs, olive oil, and cuttlefish ink.
3. Gradually mix with a fork, then knead for 10 minutes until smooth.
4. Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.

Step 2: Pickle the Shallots

1. In a small bowl, combine white wine vinegar and honey.
2. Add shallot rings, ensuring they are fully submerged.
3. Let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

Step 3: Make the Brown Butter Scallops

1. In a large pan, melt 4 tbsp butter over medium heat until it turns golden brown.
2. Add minced shallot and garlic, sauté for 1 minute.
3. Pat scallops dry and season lightly with salt.
4. Sear scallops for 2 minutes per side until golden and opaque.
5. Add Rosé, deglaze the pan, and cook for another minute.
6. Remove scallops from heat and set aside.

Step 4: Prepare the Sun-Dried Tomato Alfredo

1. In a saucepan, melt 2 tbsp butter over medium heat.
2. Add shallot and garlic, sauté until fragrant (1 minute).
3. Stir in sun-dried tomatoes and cook for another minute.
4. Add heavy cream, milk, and Parmigiano Reggiano.
5. Stir until the cheese melts and the sauce thickens slightly.

Step 5: Cook the Pasta

1. Roll out the pasta dough and cut into spaghetti strands.
2. Bring salted water to a boil, cook pasta for 5 minutes.
3. Drain and set aside.

Step 6: Assemble the Dish

1. Divide the pasta among four plates.
2. Spoon Alfredo sauce generously over each serving.
3. Place two scallops on each plate.
4. Top each scallop with a pickled shallot ring and a balsamic pearl.
5. Serve immediately and enjoy!