Receta Scallop Carbonara with Asparagus
I was quite nervous when I made this dish for our dinner on Sunday evening. I've said it several times: I am not a big egg person. Especially when it involves an egg yolk. Hence, I cannot make my own Ceasar salad dressing because I get queasy when I eat it just knowing it had raw egg yolk in it. I have shied away from Carbonara for as long as I have because of that very reason. I don't care that the heat from the pasta (or in this case, the cream that is whisked into the egg) cooks the egg. It still makes me queasy. However, it was inevitable that I would be making it in my life because it was one dish that Grumpy consistently orders out.
When my parents were here last weekend, we took them over to the Fresh Market in Latham. I knew that they would love the place and as long as mom felt up to going, we wanted to show it to them. While browsing around I finally came across the buccatini pasta that I had been looking for. I snatched the package right up. It could have cost me $10 for all I cared, I wanted to try that pasta! (it wasn't that much by the way). I immediately started thinking what I was going to make with it. I really wanted to try a BLT Spaghetti that Rachel Ray made on her show recently. I loved how she dropped the pasta in the pesto and coated it. Yum! However, I knew Grumpy probably wouldn't be as happy with that meal as he would if I made a seafood pasta one. So, I started looking for Carbonara recipes. I found a recipe for Buccatini Carbonara with Zucchini on Epicurious. I decided I would go with the basics of that recipe and fix it up the way Grumpy would like with bay scallops and asparagus in place of the zucchini. While I think it tasted good, I still couldn't eat a lot of it because all I thought I could taste was egg yolk. Yeah, its probably all in my head, but that is how it is. Grumpy told me to "suck it up and eat it", but I just couldn't eat much because my tummy kept doing hurdles on me. However, Grumpy said it had good flavor, that I cooked the scallops perfectly but that he thought it could have used more sauce. I actually made 1-1/2 of the sauce recipe. I guess if I made it again I would need to double it instead. So, if your not afraid of egg yolks and loveCarbonara, I guess this is a good recipe for you. Hope you will enjoy!
Oh, and by the way, I love the buccatini pasta! I have half the package left and will definitely be making a dish for me with the remainder!
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Scallop Carbonara with Asparagus
adapted slightly from Epicurious
- 6 ounces bacon, cut into pieces
- 3/4 cup heavy cream (I know, I know....its almost gone)
- 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound asparagus, chopped
- 1 pound bucatini
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Cook bacon in medium skillet over medium heat until brown, stirring often. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels; drain. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons drippings from skillet. Add cream, garlic, and crushed pepper to drippings in skillet; bring to boil. Set aside.
Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallops and cook until they just turn opague. Remove from skillet. Add asparagus and saute until tender, stirring occasionally, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer to large plate. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Add sauce to pasta and toss over medium heat until sauce coats pasta (do not boil).
Add bacon and asparagus and toss to heat through. Serve with remaining cheese.
Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until al dente according to package directions. Drain well and return pasta to pot.
Meanwhile, place eggs in their shell in small bowl. Add enough hot water to cover. Let stand 5 minutes. Crack eggs into large bowl and whisk to blend. Bring cream mixture to boil in skillet. Gradually whisk hot cream mixture into eggs. Mix in 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.