Scallops and Shrimp with a Fresh Herb Pasta

Happy Friday!!

So this recipe I cooked one night while I was house-sitting for my parents. I had looked up an Emeril recipe. I have to say though, there were some things I did not like about the recipe. It called for a Parsley Coulis (?) and I made it but it was pointless in my eyes. So I eliminated that. Otherwise this recipe is very quick and super easy however makes for a dinner that makes you look like a very sophisticated cook! lol Enjoy!

"Weekends are a bit like rainbows; they look good from a distance but disappear when you get up close to them!"


Ingredients
12 sea scallops
12 fresh peeled shrimp
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (cooking scallops and shrimp)
1 cup chopped fresh mild herbs (basil, chervil, tarragon, parsley, rosemary, thyme, sage, parsley)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (for pasta)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
8 ounces fresh angel hair pasta
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Spice Mixture for Scallops and Shrimp (or you can use an already packaged Cajun Seasoning):

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper


Pasta:

Bring 4 - 6 quarts of water to a rolling boil, add salt to taste.
Add contents of package to boiling water. Stir gently.
Return to a boil.
For al dente pasta, boil uncovered, stirring occasionally for 4 minutes. For more tender pasta, boil an additional 1 minute. (I like al dente pasta lol)
Remove from heat. Drain well.

Season the scallops and shrimp. In a saute pan, heat the olive oil. When the oil is hot, cook Shrimp:

Place shrimp into pan. Stir shrimp continually over a medium-high heat for about 6 to 8 minutes if frozen, 4 to 6 minutes if thawed. They cook quickly, so make sure you keep a close eye on them. The last thing you want is overcooked shrimp. Half way thru time flip shrimp over. You can tell when they are cooked by the texture and also they will be pink/opaque coloring.

When shrimp are done, remove and add a small amount of olive oil to the same pan.

Scallops:

In a saute pan, heat the olive oil. When the oil is hot, saute the scallops for 2 minutes on each side. (The scallops should have a nice golden brown sear on each side-the oil must be almost smoking.) Do not exceed  cooking time on each side. Scallops easily overcook.

Remove from the pan scallops from the pan and set aside with shrimp.

Chop all herbs to be a chunky mixture (not fine but not having branches lol in the mix).

In a mixing bowl, whisk the herbs and extra-virgin olive oil together. Add the garlic. Toss the pasta with the mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Mound the pasta in the center of the plate. Arrange the scallops and shrimp on top.

Garnish with the cheese and parsley.

Enjoy!