I know that a traditional Italian recipe would never include seafood and cheese together and I would never want to offend anyone’s traditions. However this Seafood Spaghetti Parmesan is too delicious not to share.
Beyond tradition, I think part of the reason seafood and cheese were never mixed in Italian cookery was the fact that seafood has a very delicate flavour and the salty flavour of cheese could overwhelm it. However by not adding salt to this recipe – aside from in the pasta cooking water and even there I have a very light touch – the flavour of the scallops and shrimp really shine through. Also while Parmesan is a very rich cheese, it is the perfect foil to the lemon in the recipe. All the flavours balance out into creamy deliciousness.
This recipe comes together really quickly, so be sure to have all your ingredients to hand before you start cooking. Seafood Spaghetti Parmesan makes a great date night recipe as it is the work of moments but it tastes really special. In fact, it would be perfect for Valentine’s Day this year!
Seafood Spaghetti Parmesan
Ingredients
- 6 ounces spaghetti
- 1 tablespoon mild olive oil
- 1 mild onion peeled and finely chopped
- 8 to 10 raw scallops without roe
- juice of half a lemon
- ⅓ cup small cooked shrimp or prawns
- ¼ cup frozen peas
- ⅓ to ½ cup single cream
- ¼ cup grated Parmeggiano Reggiano or Parmesan cheese
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried tarragon
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
Instructions
- Cook the spaghetti in boiling water according to package directions.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
- Gently sauté the onion until it just begins to soften.
- Add the scallops to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for three minutes.
- Stir in the lemon juice and then the frozen peas and shrimp.
- Add ⅓ cup cream and cook, stirring constantly, for a moment or two.
- Add the cheese, pepper, tarragon and parsley and stir through until the cheese melts.
- Taste for seasoning and add a little more cream if necessary to give the sauce a nice consistency.
- Serve over the drained pasta.
did you make this recipe?
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Shared with See Ya in the Gumbo
Comments & Reviews
This is my kind of pasta! Lemony, creamy, cheesy, …seafoody. Call me offensive, but some of my favorite seafood dishes include cheese! Not to mention easy and quick without looking so. Thank you for sharing this, April. I agree–this would be stellar for Valentine’s Day.
Thank you, Michelle! I definitely agree about the cheese – great minds think alike 😉