Bay Scallop Pasta with Fennel and Orange

Once upon a time, I made a recipe for scallops with a tarragon sauce. While potentially delicious in theory, it called for so much tarragon that when all was said and done I felt like I'd just eaten fourteen pounds of licorice, followed by a scallop. Not good. So I've been a little wary of tarragon ever since. This has lessened somewhat as I've grown fond of the flavor potential of fennel and star anise (the duck leg in star anise broth at Portland's Aviary was a pretty transcendental food experience), so this pretty, light spring-y pasta dish is a little leap forward for me. And what a delicious, rewarding step it is!

I came up with the idea for this dish this morning in my Research Methods class, because obviously that's where everyone comes up with their ideas for dinner. I wanted to play around a bit with the scallop-tarragon-orange combination, keeping things as light as possible. So...a little bit of this, a little bit of that and voila! A citrus-y, slightly sweet, slightly tarragon-y pasta with the occasional pop from the sweet little bay scallops. I know I've done well when my sister takes a bite and barely manages to mutter "daannnng."

Bay Scallop Pasta With Fennel and Orange

1 pound small bay scallops
1 fennel bulb (with fronds)
1 orange, zested and juiced
2 cups white wine (I used a cheap Pinot Grigio)
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons finely minced white onion
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/2 lb plain spaghetti
salt and pepper
red chile flakes for serving

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Smash unpeeled garlic with the flat of a knife and roast on a baking sheet until sweet and soft. Reserve for later.

Thinly slice the white fennel bulb, and then cut into long strips. Coarsely chop 2 T of the fennel fronds and reserve for serving. Melt 2 tablespoons butter and the tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet. When butter is hot, add the sliced fennel, the garlic, and the minced onion. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook on medium heat until fennel is soft and starting to melt a bit. Stir in 1 tablespoon orange zest and 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice. When mixed in, pour in white wine. Turn up heat slightly and reduce until wine is all but evaporated. Stir in sugar, tarragon and an additional tablespoon of orange juice. Keep warm over low heat.

Heat a large pot of salted water until boiling. Add spaghetti and cook until al dente. While spaghetti is cooking, pat scallops dry. Melt tablespoon of butter in additional skillet until hot (over medium heat). Working in batches, cook the bay scallops until opaque. Drain any liquid that may have come out of the scallops and add to the orange-fennel sauce, stirring well to coat.

Drain the pasta when al dente and toss with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper. Serve topped with scallop-orange-fennel sauce, red chile flakes and a few of the fennel fronds. I also think this dish would benefit from maybe just a little sharp cheese, like Pecorino-Romano or Parmesan. You be the judge!

Enjoy.

Small side note: As finals and impending voyages to Portland are approaching I'll probably cut down on the sheer overwhelming number of posts I've been queuing up per week. But never fear. If Hallie and I manage to bake together before I leave we'll have some amazing things coming your way!