The Briny Lemon: Shrimp and Scallop Pasta with Light Alfredo

Perhaps this recipe should be called “Shrimp and Scallop Pasta with Lighter Alfredo” since it’s difficult to imagine a dish with butter, cream, and cheese as light. What keeps the sauce from being as heavy as traditional alfredo is that it’s made with half-and-half instead of heavy cream; contains much less butter; and includes seafood to make the dish heartier without depending on a lot of sauce per serving. Two ounces of pasta is all you need for one.

Serves 4

Ingredients

8 oz thin spaghetti
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tbsp flour
1 pint half-and-half
3/4 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for serving
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 lb bay scallops (or medium sea scallops, quartered)
1/4 tsp dried red chile flakes
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Shrimp and Scallops for the Sauce

Pecarino Romano Cheese

Preparation

Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling, salted water 6-7 minutes. Drain.
Heat a large saucepan over medium-low heat and add the butter, swirling as it melts. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, 1 minute. Whisk in the flour and cook 1 minute, whisking constantly to keep from clumping.

Butter with Garlic Added

Flour Added to Pot

Whisk in the half-and-half and increase the heat to medium. Bring to a simmer, whisking constantly. Cook until slightly thickened, 5 minutes.
Stir in the Pecorino Romano and reduce the heat to low. Cook slowly until melted and well blended, 2 minutes.

Alfredo Sauce

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the shrimp, scallops, and chile flakes and season with salt and pepper.
Cook, stirring frequently, until the seafood is tender and just cooked through, 3-4 minutes.
Stir the alfredo sauce into the seafood mixture. Add the spaghetti to the pan and toss gently to combine.