Cajun Scallop Puttanesca

Cajun Scallop Puttanesca

This recipe combines several of my favorite things. Scallops are my favorite seafood and a quick cooked pasta puttanesca may be my favorite Italian dish. Add to that anything spicy or Cajun spiced and I'm absolutely in. This delicious dish definitely qualifies as a quick cook meal because Spouse and I actually whipped this up on my lunch hour yesterday afternoon! It was a real collision of flavors and I absolutely loved it! We used whole wheat penne in this recipe but you can use whatever pasta you like. The anchovies are optional here but they act more as a seasoning for the dish rather than a dominant fishy flavor.

Serves 4

• 16-20 large scallops
• Cajun Spice Mix (see below)
• 3 - 4 cloves minced garlic
• 3-4 cups diced plum tomatoes
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 chopped anchovy fillets
• 1/2 cup pitted black olives (I used sundried olives packed in oil)
• 2 tbsp capers
• 4 tbsp chopped fresh basil
• salt and pepper to season
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Saute the garlic in olive oil for only a minute before adding the anchovies and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and cook stirring occasionally until the tomatoes begin to break down and form a sauce. Add the capers, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar and about 1 tbsp of the Cajun Spice Mix and cook until the sauce begins to thicken to a jam-like consistency. Add the olives and basil in the last minute or so of cooking. Toss the sauce with :

• 4 cups cooked pasta

Dip the scallops into the Cajun spice mix and pan sear them in a hot pan in a little vegetable oil for about 2 minutes per side depending on the size of the scallops. Serve on top of the pasta. Garnish with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese.

Cajun Spice Mix

Mix together:

• 3 tbsp paprika
• 3 tbsp smoked paprika
• 3 tbsp onion powder
• 2 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tbsp dried oregano
• 2 tbsp dried basil
• 1 1/2 ground thyme
• 1/2 tbsp crushed chili flakes
• 1 tbsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp white pepper
• 1 tbsp celery salt
• 2 tbsp kosher salt