Bay Scallop Marsala Fettuccine

Bay Scallop Marsala Fettuccine

Bay Scallop Marsala Fettuccine

I’m going to apologize for not sharing this bay scallop pasta dish sooner. It’s always a big hit – delicious, easy, quick, fabulous.

The cost for premium frozen bay scallops from Baja, Mexico are about $3 per person, and the rest of the ingredients are also very reasonable.  The recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of Marsala wine per serving, I definitely recommend “the good stuff.”

It’s a super-flavorful, stunning pasta dish thanks to briny, slightly sweet and buttery scallops; the complexity of marsala wine; earthiness of mushrooms; and rich cream. I bet if you prepped everything in advance, it could be on the table in less than 20 minutes?

Be sure to use fresh pasta here, its tender velvety texture pairs wonderfully with the creamy marsala sauce.

Bay Scallop Marsala Fettuccine

Bay Scallop Marsala Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 8 oz. baby bella mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
  • 1 medium shallot, minced
  • olive oil
  • 8 oz. bay scallops, frozen/defrosted/pat dry
  • 6 oz. (approx.) fresh fettuccine
  • 1 T. butter
  • 1/4 c. good dry marsala wine
  • 1/4 c. heavy cream
  • 1 t. cornstarch mixed with 1 t. water
  • sea salt and fresh ground pepper
  • parsley to garnish

Method:

Sauté mushrooms in a bit of olive oil large pan until browned. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Sauté shallot in a medium sauté pan in olive oil over medium heat until lightly golden.

Add scallops to shallots and cook for two minutes, gently stirring often.

Meanwhile, cook fresh fettuccine in salted boiling water according to package instructions, about two minutes, then drain and toss with butter.

Add mushrooms and marsala to scallop mixture. Cook for one minute.

Add cream and cornstarch slurry to scallop mixture. Cook, stirring gently, until lightly thickened, about two to three minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Plate fettuccine in a pasta bowl. Pour scallop mixture in the center, over the top. Garnish with parsley.

Serves 2. (Can easily be doubled).

Notes:

This recipe cooks the scallops in 5 to 6 minutes. Longer than that would overcook the scallops. Hence, the addition of a bit of cornstarch to thicken, rather than waiting for the cream to thicken up, which would take longer. Cook the scallops for 6 minutes max, then serve immediately. They will be perfect.

We like Wild-Caught Magdalena Bay Scallops from Mexico. They are diver caught with no preservatives, 60-80 count per lb. Bahía Magdalena is located on the western coast of the Mexican state of Baja California Sur. It is a very beautiful coastline where the waters are rich in species for commercial and sport fishing.

Marsala Ostinato Secco

Marsala:

Marsala wine has been produced on the northwest corner of Sicily for centuries. At its best, Marsala offers a unique expression and compelling flavor profile, redolent of tamarind, grilled apricot and orange; white chocolate, vanilla and roasted almond; cinnamon, tobacco and mace, lashed with sea salt and the concentration wrought by the warm, dry Scirocco wind. The Sicilian countryside and the Mediterranean Sea in a bottle…

Delicious, balanced and refined, Ostinato Fine Ambra Secco is a dry Marsala that is produced according to traditional methods.

Enjoy with dry-cured meats and a wide variety of cheeses, including Robiola, Taleggio and all manner of Pecorino cheeses. It also excels in a variety of cocktail applications as well in elevating classics like Veal or Chicken Marsala, Saltimbocca or sautéed mushrooms. (from the importer here)

I recommend finding a nice bottle of Marsala for this recipe, Ostinato was excellent. Once opened, this wine will keep for up to six months, sip it chilled with some cheese, or cook another Marsala dish!

Bay Scallop Marsala Fettuccine

To Serve:

Give the bowl of pasta a big toss to coat all the noodles with sauce. Then enjoy!

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