Scallop & Bacon Spaghetti

 My husband likes fairly simple food. While I am a condiments freak he generally avoids them – preferring not to 'mar' the taste of whatever it is he's eating. Fair enough – everyone is different, however it can make it tricky to get him to try new things 'cause as far as he is concerned “why mess with a good thing?!” If he ever has to cook for himself he will grill some meat and make a salad to go with it (no complaints there!). I on the other hand would make a sauce or flavoured butter to go with the meat – just for that little something extra!

And then there is the pasta debate.....If you follow my blog you are probably aware that I am a pastaholic! I would literally eat pasta every day if I could – including the summer! Mr. Vanilla on the other hand...not so much! He likes pasta but just not that often and it's probably due to the fact that I am always feeding him lighter tomato pasta's which is my absolute favourite, whereas he prefers cream-based pasta sauces! Judging from the amount of 'cream-based' sauces on my recipes page you can see the poor guy doesn't get them that often! So I have gone out on a limb here and created a pasta dish that I know he will not complain about at all. Not only is it 100% tomato free and has cream in it, but it includes the ingredients that make up one of his all-time favourite starters – scallops wrapped in bacon! I'm sure if I made this every week he would be delighted to eat pasta....but our waist lines, not so much! However we all need a treat every now and then so Mr. Vanilla – this pasta dish is for you, simple, no fuss and full of flavours you love! Enjoy!

Serves 2

Drizzle of olive oil

4 strips of streaky bacon, finely chopped

150g scallops (approx. 6 oz when frozen)

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped (or crushed for a stronger flavour)

100-125ml white wine

125ml cream

Salt & freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped

200g spaghetti

Heat a large pan of salted water and bring to a boil.

Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan then add the bacon pieces. Cook until just starting to turn crispy then remove with a slotted spoon. If there is a lot of fat from the bacon remove most of it, leaving roughly 1-2 tablespoons in the pan. Add the scallops and quickly sear on each side for roughly 30 seconds until golden brown and just starting to cook through. Remove, cover to keep warm and set aside with the bacon.

Put the spaghetti on to cook for roughly 8-10 minutes (check the cooking times on the packet). Reduce the heat in the frying pan and allow to cool slightly then add the garlic. Gently cook until softened but not browned (as it will taste bitter). Add the wine and de-glaze the pan then simmer and reduce slightly before adding the cream. Season with a little salt and pepper and gently simmer for a few minutes. Add the bacon back to the pan and continue to cook.

Once the spaghetti is ready add a couple of tablespoons of the cooking water to the cream sauce and add the scallops and most of the parsley to the pan. Taste to check the seasoning and adjust if necessary. Drain the spaghetti then add to the cream sauce. Toss well then serve and enjoy!

*One Year Ago - Grilled Steak Salad with Parmesan