Penne wiith Scallops and Shrimp

I am trying to clean out my freezers before the upcoming holiday season, and I'm amazed at what I am finding in there!

Last February we had a snowstorm and were without electricity for 10 days. We managed to save most of our refrigerated foods by transferring them to coolers, and the frozen foods by packing everything in snow in clean trash cans then burying the cans in snowdrifts. I would like to now pause in order to send Mother Nature heartfelt pleas not to put us through this torture during the coming (several) winter (s).

Anyway, when the power was finally restored and we were refilling the freezer I actually took notes as to everything that I put back in. Then I typed this list, and truly meant to keep it current. This lasted for about a month. Or two.

When I come home from shopping and am putting away groceries, it’s difficult to stop and catalog everything that goes into the freezer and refrigerator. And when I am cooking, I usually have to keep my mind on the recipe rather than updating the freezer list. That’s how it is. I make no excuses.

Anyway, back to trying to clear out the freezers.

We had spent several lovely autumn days last week working on outside projects. Although fall is an easier season than spring is around here, there still is painting to do, patio furniture and decorations to put away, the garden and flower beds to clear out and close up, etc. Dinner is rushed these days and since it gets dark earlier, I sometimes find myself putting away my tools by the light on the patio.

One evening, at 6pm no less, I dug through the freezer and found two small bags of shrimp, each a quarter full, and two bags of scallops (one bay, one sea), both less that a quarter filled. Hmmm. All I could think of was making it with pasta for a quick meal, and I put this recipe together. It was so good that Jack insisted I not only write down the ingredients in order to make it again, but that I not feel the need to make this when I only have bits of bagged seafood to use up.

I thawed the shrimp and scallops (there were more than there should have been for the two of us, and I didn’t even weigh them because we were starving) and once pasta is cooked, the tomatoes are chopped, the onion sliced and garlic minced, this meal goes together very quickly.

The whipping cream was added at the last-minute to give a little more “body” to the sauce and it worked great. I have discovered that I enjoy adding skim milk and just a teaspoon of heavy cream to my coffee in the morning rather than using sugary non-dairy creamers, so this normally lowfat kitchen has this particular ingredient (uncharacteristically) hanging about.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Penne with Scallops and Shrimp

Recipe By: Hunger & Desperation :)

Servings: 2

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

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4 ounces whole wheat pasta -- penne or rotini

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup onion -- thinly sliced

1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic

6 ounces shrimp -- peeled and deveined

6 ounces scallops

1 cup diced fresh tomato

1 cup green peas, frozen -- thawed

1 tablespoon minced fresh basil

1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano

1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon whipping cream -- optional

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons fresh parsley -- chopped

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, RESERVING 1/3 CUP COOKING WATER, and set aside.

Heat oil in a medium-sized nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic, stirring constantly for 30 seconds, then add the shrimp. Stir for one minute; add the scallops and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the reserved pasta cooking water, and ingredients through hot pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. While the mixture is heating, mix the cornstarch and water. Once the mixture has come to a boil, turn the heat to medium-low and stir in the cornstarch liquid. Stirring constantly, add the whipping cream and stir until thickened a bit. Add the pasta and stir until heated through. Divide between plates and sprinkle with Parmesan and parsley.

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Per serving: 512 Calories (kcal); 14g Total Fat (4g Saturated); (24% calories from fat); 43g Protein; 55g Carbohydrate; 171mg Cholesterol; 375mg Sodium