Cacio e pepe with herbs

Cacio e pepe with herbs: fusilli lunghi // Pecorino // cracked pepper // chives // basil // shallot // edamame // seared bay scallops

My workout regiment was thrown out of whack this week, so pasta night happened on Sunday in preparation for a 14 miler Monday.

Why fusilli lunghi: this noodle has a hole the whole way through it and sucks up juices around every curve. It holds sauce beautifully and the texture makes a simple dish pop!

Ingredients:

• 1 package fusilli lunghi
• 1 cup plain soda water
• 1/4 stick of butter
• 2 T EVOO
• 1 lb bay scallops
• 1/4 cup white wine (any will do, I prefer a dryer wine for this dish)
• 1 shallot
• 1 cup pasta water
• 1 T black pepper powder
• 1/4 cup pecorino
• 1 cup steamed edamame
• 1/2 T sea salt flakes
• 1 handful fresh chives and basil

The How To:

1. Clean the scallops to remove sand stuck in the muscle. To do this, place scallops in bowl with 1 cup water and 1 cup soda water. The effervescence gets into the cracks and crevices and helps remove sand. Let sit an hour. Remove, and place on clean kitchen towel. Gently dry. The dryer, the better–that’s what gives you the beautiful brown sear.
2. Using a cast iron pan, heat 1/2 of your butter and 2 T EVOO over medium high heat. Melt under butter just starts to brown. Add your scallops and season with salt and pepper. Cook for just two minutes and flip. Cook for another two minutes, remove from heat, and place in bowl. The bowl will collect the milky scallop juices–that’s good, we’re going to add it to our sauce later.
3. Start your pasta water and prepare your pasta, being sure to cook to al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water for the sauce.
4. In the same cast iron pan, add the white wine to deglaze the pan. Next add your shallots and stir until just barely browned, about 4 minutes.
5. Steam your edamame. Set aside.
6. Add your 1 cup of pasta water and scallop juices to your cast iron, mix. Add your pasta, and grated pecorino cheese. Toss using tongs. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Add edamame, herbs, and scallops, and toss one more time for good measure. Season with additional fresh herbs and even more cheese.