I know it may seem intimidating, but I promise this couldn't be any easier to cook. Trust me, if I can make it on a work night when I am super tired and considering ordering delivery you can definitely do this.
This is a great pasta dinner for two or as a side for a few people. Because of the nature of the egg yolk sauce, this is best served immediately so don't bank on leftovers. You can easily adjust this recipe to the quantities you need.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 2-4 people
You Will Need:
- 1/2 lb bay scallops, rinsed and patted dry
- 1/2 lb fusilli
- 2 TBS butter
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 1/2 tomato, diced small
- 3 egg yolks
- 1/3 cup romano or parmesan, grated
- salt and pepper, to taste
- Cook pasta in boiling water with a bit of salt and olive oil for about 10 minutes or whatever the packages instructions ask for. When done, reserve about 1/4 cup of cooking liquid.
- As pasta cooks, melt butter in a large, deep pan on low/medium heat. Once melted, add garlic and shallots and constantly stir to prevent burning or crisping, about 3 minutes.
- Add scallops to the pan. Usually bay scallops cook up within a minute, but because the heat is not very high you may need 90 seconds/2 minutes of cook time. This all depends on your heat source so watch carefully. About halfway into the scallop cook time, add the tomato.
- To make your egg yolk sauce, simply mix the yolks and 1/2 of the romano. It will appear thick. This is okay. It will be thinned out when added to the dish!
- Setting heat to low, add pasta to the pan and stir in. Remove from heat.
- Add egg yolk sauce to the pasta and stir in. Add a splash of the pasta cooking liquid to help sauce stick and add more little by little until desired thickness is achieved. Remember the tomato lends a bit of liquid too - you can always add more but you can't remove if you add too much. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Sprinkle the rest of the romano on top of each dish of pasta as you serve.
What is your favorite pasta shape?