I don’t know what it is about summer and seafood, but the two just seem to go so well together. Sure burgers and other grilled meats have their place, but seafood just seems so much more fresh and delicious in summer. My dream summer day would be to enjoy an authentic lobster roll on a beach in Maine. One day!

This past weekend however, we tossed together a pasta with steamed clams and pan-seared scallops. To pan sear the scallops, pat the scallops dry and toss some butter into a medium sized frying pan. When the butter begins to smoke, carefully add scallops into the pan in a clockwise order. Ensure the scallops aren’t overcrowded and touching or they’ll never sear properly and you’ll wind up with rubbery, burnt scallops. Turn the scallops over after about 2min and allow to sear on the other side another 2min, working in the same clockwise motion. I’ve seen Gordon Ramsey recommend using a spoon to facilitate easier turning, and I agree it does make things easier!

We used the liquor from the clams and shells to make the base for the light sauce. The liquor was sautéed with some vegetable stock and butter with a little grated lemon peel and several cloves of pressed garlic. When it was simmered down to a thick glaze, we tapped it lightly with heavy cream and a couple tablespoons of Pecorino Romano.

After, the sauce had thickened sufficiently to coat the pasta, we tossed all together: pasta, seafood, and sauce. I finished each dish with ribbons of fresh basil. What is your favorite seafood to toss through pasta?