This Pasta Primavera recipe with Scallops is filled with healthy vegetables like broccoli, onions, spinach, basil and tomatoes.
While doing a bit of research for this Pasta Primavera with Scallops recipe, I surprisingly discovered that it didn’t originate in Italy…and it wasn’t even Italian. Well, maybe just a little. But it actually was created in New York City. At Le Cirque. The famous chefs Craig Claiborne and Pierre Franey discovered the dish and Craig Claiborne wrote an article about it, which the New York Times published in 1977. And Pasta Primavera has since become a staple at restaurants everywhere.
Originally, it only included vegetables simmered in a rich sauce served over capellini, but I thought scallops would be a nice, light addition to give this dish even more flavor.
So, let’s make it.
Ingredients for Pasta Primavera
- Capellini: Delicate pasta for light taste
- Olive oil: For Health
- Shallots: For onion, garlic and scallion flavor
- Garlic: For a rich, pungent flavor
- Sea scallops: A rich, light, salty flavor
- Pepper: For spiciness
- Flour: To add a crust to the scallops
- Broccoli: For health and texture
- Butter: To add richness
- Fat free half and half: For creaminess
- Low sodium chicken broth: For health and flavor
- Baby spinach: For health
- Basil: For a slight peppery, minty flavor
- Tomatoes: For health
How to Make Pasta Primavera with Scallops
First, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil to the boiling water, then add the capellini. Cook for about 4 minutes until it’s at the al dente stage. To the bite they call it because it’s not stiff or totally limp and mushy. It’s right in between.
At this stage drain the capellini and return it to the warm pan off the heat.
Next, pepper the scallops on both sides and dredge them lightly in flour. Then add olive oil to a frypan over medium high heat.When hot, add the scallops and cook 1 minute. Then turn them over and cook 1 minute more. Remove the scallops to a bowl.
Then to the same frypan, add the broccoli and cook 2 minutes stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Then add the chicken broth and continue cooking 2-3 minutes to slightly reduce.
Add in butter and half and half. Stir in spinach and basil. Finally add in the tomatoes and the cooked scallops.
Add cooked capellini to serving bowls and top with the Primavera sauce and scallops.
Serve immediately and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired.
Pasta Primavera with Scallops
Ingredients
- 4 oz Capellini
- 2 Tsp Olive oil
- 1 Tsp Butter No salt
- 1/2 Lb Sea Scallops Cut in half
- 1/4 Tsp Pepper
- 1 Med Shallot MInced
- 3 Cloves Garlic MInced
- 1 Cup Broccoli Cut into bite size pieces
- 1 Tbsp Butter Unsalted
- 2 Tbsp Half and half Fat free
- 1/4 Cup Chicken broth Low sodium
- 1 Cup Baby spinach
- 1/2 Cup Basil leaves Chopped
- 4 Med Tomatoes Seeded and cut into bite size pieces
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add 1 Tsp olive oil to pot and then add the capellini. Cook for 4 minutes until al dente. Drain and return to warm pan.
- Sprinkle pepper on both sides of the scallops.
- Add remaining 1 Tsp of olive and 1 Tsp of butter to a frypan over medium high heat. Add the scallops and cook them 1 minute. Then turn them over and cook 1 minute more. Remove the scallops to a bowl and set aside.
- Add remaining 1 Tsp of olive and 1 Tsp of butter to a frypan over medium high heat. Add the scallops and cook them 1 minute. Then turn them over and cook 1 minute more. Remove the scallops to a bowl and set aside.
- Reduce the heat of the frypan to medium and add the shallots and cook 2 minutes until just carmelized. Add in garlic and cook 1 minute. Then add the broccoli and cook 2 minutes more.
- Add chicken broth and cook until slightly reduced about 2 minutes more. Add in 2 Tbsp butter and half and half. Stir in spinach and basil. Finally add in the tomatoes and the cooked scallops.
- Add capellini to serving bowls and top with Pimavera sauce.
- Serve immediately and sprinkle with parmesan cheese, if desired.
Nutrition
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For Similar Recipes:
Linguini with Scallops and Mizithra Browned Butter
Bow-Ties with Seafood Halifax Style
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