Seafood Scampi and Fettuccine Alfredo

So.. you know how there are sometimes foods? This is one of those meals. It is probably the only one that will ever come with this disclaimer... but I feel compelled to add this.

To start with, no one meal should contain this much butter. 

It's awesome and it is DELICIOUS and it will make your mouth happy, but not your heart or arteries, so make this a special occasion meal and don't be afraid to have smaller portions than you might want, and a bigger salad. 

Ok, there's the warning. Now onto the good stuff. I wish my pictures of this were better, but this requires a LOT of constant stirring and it makes it hard to get good shots. 

Cook 1 pound of pasta your choice while you are doing this.

Add a dash of salt and a little olive oil to your boiling water and throw in your pasta. Cook per directions on the back. 

This dinner takes some practice with timing, each only takes about 10 minutes, so prep everything in advance and at least the first time, either have help or only make one (If you double the scampi recipe and add about a ½ cup of chicken stock you will get a great light white sauce to put over pasta)

Side note... for the meal I made in the pictures I doubled my shrimp and left out my scallops because the price was ridiculous this week. Feel free to do that as well, or even leave out the shrimp and use only scallops. Crab is excellent too. 

Seafood Scampi

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• ½ lb small or medium shrimp, deveined, tails removed
• ½ lb bay scallops or sea scallops (quarter your sea scallops)
• ½ cup white wine (or chicken stock)
• 1 Tblsp fresh chopped basil
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 lemon (small to medium)
• salt
• pepper
• parsley for color

Cut your lemon in half and squeeze the juice of half over your seafood. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat and melt 2 Tblsp butter. (The black spot is apparently where I splashed butter my phone. LOL)

Add garlic and let sizzle for 1 minute more
Add shrimp and scallops, and cook for 2- 3 minutes 

Add wine, basil and pepper flakes
Simmer about 3-4 minutes, until shrimp are pink and scallops opaque

Add 1Tblsp butter, squeeze in lemon juice and stir in salt and pepper and cook til butter has melted.
Just before adding over top of pasta, mix in fresh parsley for color and garnish.

Fettuccine Alfredo

• 1 pint heavy cream
• 1 sticks(1 cup) butter
• fresh pepper
• 1 cup parmesan or a combo of parmesean and romano cheeses
• 1 lb cooked fettuccine or pasta of choice
• salt & ground white pepper, to taste
• clove of garlic (optional)

Melt butter in a saucepan

Turn down heat to medium low
Add garlic clove (just drop it in to infuse) if desired
Pour cream into pan and whisk together, heat until slightly reduced (about 7 minutes) whisking often

Grind pepper over the top. Now this is going to be "to taste" but I use about 21 quick grinds of my pepper mill and I use a very mild mix of white and black pepper. I know. I'm weird, but I measure things my own way. 

Slowly add cheese, whisking until combined. 

Stir constantly 1-2 minutes until cheese if full incorporated.
Remove from heat and let "rest" 1 min
Toss with pasta.

Now, top your pasta with your seafood scampi.

I serve this with a salad and it's perfect with homemade 2 cheese garlic bread, but I'm saving that recipe for another day.