Cranberry Fettuccine Tomato Cream Sauce with Shrimps and Scallops

6.8.10

This is what happens when I Just Love My Apron takes on Western cuisine!

You won't see me sharing western cuisine often. I do cook that style but most of the time they are basic dishes that you can find anywhere. However, this one is different...(smile). It has developed over time and finally found a spot to stay in my food membrane.

A friend of ours from Alaska was in town on Memorial day weekend and stayed with us. For his last dinner in Seattle for this trip, I offered him a homemade meal. He just found out that I'm a food blogger who cooks/bakes and blogs about it. No surprise, he had high expectations of me.  Since he's from Alaska where there is plenty of seafood, I decided to make him a Seafood dish to remind him of Alaska (how funny). He's not really familiar with Asian cuisine and I didn't want to torture him, so pasta was a smart move for his sake!

Boil pasta in cranberry juice

This dish is inspired by a conversation I had with a friend at a non-profit event. We were talking about food and got to food blogs. He asked me one question that I struggled with--what is your signature western dish? Hmm..I paused and thought for a while and decided to tell him that I actually didn't know. Maybe I didn't have one? It's hard to find one because once you name it, it's your signature, your name is on it. Since then I've been searching for one and decided to take this dish as my western signature dish!...for now...There's still room to grow so maybe I will have a new signature dish or a new version of this pasta in the next couple months?

As you're reading this post, what is your signature western dish?

I have learned a new trick of cooking shrimp from the Momofuku Cookbook and have applied it to this dish. It makes a big difference. You pan-grill the shrimp and use the back of a wooden spoon or a heavy pan to put some weight on them. It makes the shrimp crispier and smokier but moist inside. It's tasty. Period.

I've also learned from you, awesome bloggers, whose blogs I have visited. You know who I'm talking about if you have seen me pop onto your blog frequently! Every element of food is important. It should be flavorful and when all the flavorful components are combined the result?.....scrumptious dish....

T's Cranberry Fettuccine Tomato Cream Sauce with Shrimps and Scallops
Yield: 4

For shrimps
Ingredients:
1 lb raw peeled de-veined tail-off 16/20 shrimp
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
2 TBS unsalted butter

Pasta
Iingredients:
1 lb Fettuccine pasta or spaghetti (your choice)
1 gallon cranberry juice
Sea salt for salting water
Save 1 cup of cranberry juice from cooking pasta

Scallop tomato creamy sauce
Ingredients:

1 lb baby scallops

3 TBS tomato paste

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup leftover cranberry juice from boiling pasta

1 8oz. pint sliced white mushroom

1 fresh bay leaf; if using dry please use 2 leaves

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 TBS thinly sliced shallots

1 TBS olive oil

1 TBS unsalted butter

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1/4 tsp each oregano, grounded nutmeg, cayenne pepper

1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1 TBS minced parsley

Salt and pepper for seasoning

Direction:

• Season shrimps with salt, pepper, and paprika. Set aside in a fridge for 15 mins
• Boil cranberry juice and season with salt, add pasta and cook to al dente per package's instruction
• Save 1 cup of cranberry juice from cooking. We will use 1/2 cup. The other half is in case we need to lighten up the sauce
• While pasta is cooking, heat up a medium sauce pan or a deep pan for the sauce
• When the pan is hot, add olive oil. Then add shallot and garlic. Saute them till they're translucent
• Add mushroom. Saute it till mushroom starts to cook through. They will absorb oil, so add 1 TBS of butter.
• Add white wine. Simmer it for 10 mins. Add cream and tomato paste. Use wooden spoon stir for the paste to dissolve. 
• Add 1/2 cup cranberry juice. Add bay leaf, and all the seasonings. Let it simmer for 15 mins
• Add scallops in the sauce; stir
• In a meantime, pan-grill the shrimps. Heat up a cast iron pan. Add butter. When butter is melting and starts to bubble. Add shrimps
• Cook shrimps for about 2 mins on each side. The trick is to use a back of a wooden spoon or spatula to put some weight on the shrimps so that their edge get crispy and to create a smokey flavor. After cook all the shrimps, set aside by covering with foil
• Going back to the sauce, add sour cream, stir, then add cheese. Add salt and pepper if needed

To Plate:

• Place pasta on a prepared dish, pour the cream sauce over, place shrimps on top, and sprinkle with minced parsley
• Sprinkle with more cheese if needed

We finished the evening off with this homemade cream cheese brownie and ice cream

Cranberry Fettuccine Tomato Cream Sauce With Shrimps and Scallops