Last night we made a really nice meal that wasn’t too tough to make and was also reasonably affordable. Last night was Mediterranean Scallops on Artichoke and Mushroom Pasta.
I’d been in a Publix the day before and they like to make up recipe cards for what they refer to as “Simple Meals”, with a list of shopping ingredients, and other information. This one is listed as a 35 minute prep time, but it was probably closer to an hour, although I don’t always follow the instructions to the letter.
Here’s my modification of their recipe.
Ingredients:
Box of linguine
4-8 ounces of sea scallops
4-8 ounces of shrimp - shelled and de-veined
(we made a mix of the two since my daughter is not much for scallops. You should vary the quantity and amount to your tastes)
2 medium yellow squash
2 plum tomatoes
4 ounces of Crimini mushrooms (baby Portabellos)
cloves of garlic minced (to taste - we used about 3-4)
can of artichoke hearts, drained and quartered - we used the baby ones
2-3 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (optional)
4-5 black olives, diced (optional)
Olive oil
Butter
Italian dressing
salt (coarse grind if you have or can)
pepper
white wine - I used a Spanish white Paso a Paso Verdejo, Pinot Grigio or any white would work.
italian herbs - we had some blend around, which contained mostly rosemary, basil and oregano
grated hard Italian cheese - pecorino romano, parm, whatever.
First, I put a large pot of water on to boil. Then we cut up the squash and tomatoes to about 1/8 - 1/4 inch thick slices (do same for the mushrooms if you buy whole, I got lazy and got them pre-cut). We microwaved the squash for about 1.5 minutes so they would be the tenderness we liked, but you can omit that part if you like your squash more crunchy. Then I mixed the squash, tomatoes, a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, 1/4 cup (or so) of white wine, and a decent splash of the italian herbs in a medium bowl. Then I arranged along the bottom of a 9 x 13" glass casserole dish. Pour any liquid in the bowl over the veggies.
Then I cooked the garlic, about half a stick of butter, and a tablespoon or so of olive oil in a small sauce pan. Cook until the garlic is just lightly browned. Then turn off the heat and leave for later.
Next I put the scallops and shrimp in the same bowl we’d used for the previous step, and mixed with more salt, pepper and a bit less of the herbs. Once these were tossed I arranged over the top of the veggies. Make sure you don’t use too much seafood so that it will all have be on the surface. Lightly drizzle the top with a bit more olive oil.
Preheat the oven to broil. My broiler has a temperature control and I set it to 400 F. I wouldn’t cook any higher if you can help it because you might overcook the seafood.
Now, to the pasta. I think the original recipe was meant for a lot of pre-done mix stuff, but I just had a box of linguine. I cooked the linguine for about 5-6 minutes at a full boil. While the linguine was cooking I had a slightly smaller pot that I pre-heated and coated in a tablespoon or two of olive oil. Next put in the mushrooms (and peppers if you like) and soften. Now add the artichokes, olives and sun-dried tomatoes. Mix.
When the pasta has cooked for about 5-6 minutes, use tongs to transfer into the pan with the mushrooms, artichokes, etc. This should be about the time you’re done pre-cooking the mushrooms and artichokes. Add another 1/3-1/4 cup of white wine, plus a really healthy splash of Italian dressing, a tablespoon or two of olive oil, and maybe a bit of water that you’d cooked the pasta in. Toss in some of the Italian herbs if you like.
This is the point where I put the seafood / veggie combo under the broiler (just about the time you’re mixing the pasta into the second pot). I cooked the pasta for about another 5-6 minutes (check for doneness, linguine should be “al dente” but not undercooked. Stir often, or the past on top will not fully cook. When done add a couple of tablespoons of the cheese, mix and plate the pasta. Put some more cheese on the table if anyone needs more cheesy goodness.
I broiled the seafood veggie combo for about 8 minutes. The scallops should start to carmelize but not too brown and definitely not black! 
The veggies will be cooked when the seafood is done. Remove and add in the butter/olive oil/garlic mixture and toss lightly. Place a portion on top of the pasta.
Serves about 4-6. You might need an extra bottle of wine if everyone is drinking it.
Notes: their recipe called for 1 small bell pepper - deveined/seeded and cut into thin strips (for the pasta) and 2 zucchinis (with the scallops). I don’t like bell peppers and the store was out of zucchini, so these were skipped. The peppers would add a nice color if you like them, or the the zucchini would give some green to it. The olives we used are some oil cured variety we keep in the fridge. I’d go with something more in that vein than just some canned olives, like nicoise olives if you can, or just leave them out. I threw in the sun-dried tomatoes and olives because those “feel” Mediterranean to me and imo go with the artichokes. Also, the original recipe called for a “scampi sauce” and a herb pasta package. The garlic/butter/olive oil thing was my “scampi sauce”. If you use the herb pasta package they call for just cooking that in 1-1/2 cups of water and adding in AFTER you soften the mushrooms and peppers, but without boiling it first, so cook for a longer time. Also, they suggest accompanying with salad, dinner rolls and maybe a chocolate dessert. I did get a loaf of “french” bread to go with. A good Italian bread would have been better. Salad will of course make the meal go further, and I suggest a romaine salad with chopped roma tomatoes and a splash of balsamic vinegar dressing.
This really came out great; the scallops and shrimp were perfect, the pasta would be delicious on it’s own. I tend not to measure things too carefully when I cook, so put my best approximations here. As long as you don’t overdo it I think you’ll be fine with adjustments to quantities.
Please share any cool recipes which you’ve created or modified. I wouldn’t make this everyday, but it was perfect for the beautiful spring afternoon we had yesterday and would also be nice out on the patio in the summer.