Indulge your seafood craving with Squid Ink Pasta with Clams, Scallops, and Uni Sauce. The creamy sauce with a wonderful ocean aroma is made with uni (the edible portion of the spiny sea urchin). Uni has a very unique briny, sweet taste and velvety texture.
This picture of my dish won the 2017 Week 3 of Monterey Bay Aquarium’s SeafoodWatch Seafood Month Challenge: Pasta, Home Chef.
- CA Squid: Good Alternative
- CA Sea Urchin: Good Alternative
- US Farmed Clams: Best Choice
- Florida Sea Scallops: Best Choice
EQUIPMENT: cast iron skillet, saucepan, cutting board, chef’s knife
Squid Ink Pasta with Clams, Scallops, and Uni Sauce
Difficulty: MediumServings
2
servingsPrep time
20
minutesCooking time
20
minutesIngredients
filtered water
sea salt
extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons sliced red bell pepper
garlic, minced from a jar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup heavy cream
6 hardshell clams
2 sea scallops
8 uni (sea urchin)*
4 oz dried squid ink pasta
12 pea pods
freshly ground black peppercorns
Directions
- Add salt to water in a large pot so that it tastes like the ocean. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer.
- Heat oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat until it starts to shimmer.
- Add garlic, red peppers, and red pepper flakes and stir until garlic is aromatic. Do not let it turn brown.
- Pour in the cream and let it simmer for a few minutes to reduce and thicken a little.
- Add clams and scallops and simmer until it thickens to sauce consistency and the clams have opened.
- Stir in the uni and remove from heat.
- Turn up the heat on the water and bring it back to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions. With one minute to go add the peapods.
- Drain. Toss with a bit of olive oil and salt.
- Arrange the pasta, pea pods, clams and scallops on plates, then spoon uni sauce over.
- Grind a little bit of black peppercorns over and serve immediately.
Notes
- *Uni usually comes in a tray. If you can get frozen that is perfect and is usually less expensive.
