Red Pepper Spaghetti with Scallops is a wonderful homemade dinner ready in about 40 minutes when using jarred roasted red peppers. Roasted red peppers are widely available at most grocery stores and they make wonderful sauces and dips. For this recipe, the roasted red peppers are pureed with onion, garlic, herbs, and cream for a luscious sauce that hugs the spaghetti nicely and makes an easy yet delicious dinner.
It’s not always easy being creative in the kitchen and coming up with a wide range of meal options for you and your family, especially if you have picker eaters. Red Pepper Spaghetti with Scallops has a blended sauce that is smooth, creamy and mild in taste, making it appealing to many. Not a fan of scallops? Try the recipe with shrimp, cooked chicken chunks or just an extra sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Other kinds of pasta like linguine or fettuccine will work well too, so use up what you have. The creamy sauce can be made up to two days in advance and warmed gently on the stove before adding the scallops. But I find little need to make it ahead of time when it comes together quickly as it is. But if you are all about the meal prep, I would suggest making a double batch of sauce and freezing half for use later. You just can’t beat meals made from scratch and this is a great dinner to have on rotation. Enjoy!
1340ml jarroasted red peppers, drainedabout 8 ounces
12ouncesspaghetti
12ouncesbay scallops, patted dry
1/2cupfreshly grated Parmesan cheeseplus more for serving
as neededchopped fresh basil
Instructions
Heat a large pot of well-salted water to a simmer. Add spaghetti and cook according to package directions, about 8-9 minutes. Drain well, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water.
Add the white wine and reduce for 2 minutes. Stir in broth, herbs and spices and continue to cook until the liquid has evaporated.
Pour mixture into a blender along with roasted red peppers. Puree until smooth, about 30 seconds.
Pour the sauce back into the pan and whisk in cream. Heat to a simmer and reduce for 1-2 minutes. Add the scallops and cook for about 3 minutes (depending on size) stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and adjust salt to taste. Add the cooked spaghetti and Parmesan cheese tossing to coat in sauce, adding a splash of pasta water if needed.
Divide among serving dishes and garnish with additional Parmesan cheese and fresh basil.
Notes
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Every once in a while I like to remake one of my older recipes and give it a little life on the blog. Pork Chops with Hard Cider Sauce get the honourable mention today! Not only because they’re tasty but because they’re so quick and easy. A little hard cider goes a long way in making a quick pan sauce for your juicy pork chops. It adds great flavour along with the Dijon and tomato paste. It only takes a cup of hard cider so I guess the bonus here is that you get to drink the rest.
A tasty rub is smeared over the pork chops which are then pan fried golden. While they rest, a quick pan sauce with everyday ingredients and a little hard cider transpires. The key here is not to overcook the pork chops, 6 minutes per side is about all you need. If in doubt, you want a minimum of 145℉ on an instant read thermometer.
I love this recipe because you get good delicious value for the time spent. The spice rub adds additional flavour and a gorgeous colour to the pork chops. It’s a weeknight winner for sure! Enjoy!
In a small bowl stir together all ingredients except pork chops. Pat pork chops dry with a paper towel. Rub pork chops with spice mixture, covering all sides. Add oil to a large stainless steel pan over medium heat. When oil is hot add pork chops and cook until golden, approximately 6 minutes per side or an internal temperature of 145℉ is reached. Remove from pan and tent with foil.
Hard Cider Sauce
Dab out excess oil from the same pan. Over medium heat, add hard cider scraping up any browned bits from the pan. Bring hard cider to a boil and reduce for 5 minutes. Whisk in Worcestershire sauce, mustard, sirracha, and tomato paste. Stir in heavy cream, allow to return to a simmer and reduce for 2-3 minutes or until sauce coats the back of a spoon. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately over pork chops.
Recipe Notes
-Medium heat is recommended so the spice rub doesn't burn or get too dark. The trick for a good sear with medium heat is to not move the pork chops while they cook, allowing a good crust to form.
-The time needed to cook the pork chops will vary depending on their thickness. The 6 minutes per side is based on an approximate 1" thick pork chop. If your chops are thinner, adjust accordingly and use a thermometer if needed.
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Today’s post is all about simple and versatile. Horseradish Cream is the best of both worlds with its simplicity and ease of preparation. Its versatility makes it delicious with so many things. Let me show you how this simple condiment comes together and pairs with your everyday foods and dishes.
This creamy and vibrant sauce starts with sour cream and horseradish. Add in chopped dill pickle for some punch, and a sprinkle of fresh dill and pepper give it a bright finish.
Let’s have a look at how to use this simple yet versatile sauce. My personal favourite is spread generously onto a shaved roast beef sandwich. Even though beef is the go-to food to pair this with, whether it be roast beef, grilled steak or beef kabobs, this is also great with seafood and fish. Think tartar sauce with an extra kick, making it wonderful with shrimp, grilled/poached fish, battered fish and fried calamari. Now let’s go beyond the box and think baked potato topper, perigee and potato chip dip. It’s the dill pickle that brings this complimenting sauce to life and a delicious match for so many foods. So go ahead and spread, dip, and dollop onto all your favourite foods, this sauce is a winner. Enjoy!
Got a need for more delicious quick and easy sauces?Â
Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and chill for at least two hours to allow flavours to meld.
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Cherry Salsa is sweet, spicy and delicious on goat cheese crostini, baked Brie, chicken cutlets or grilled meats. Simplicity is good and this quick and easy recipe can be ready for guests without much fuss. The dried cherries offer a nice texture to the salsa and the freshly chopped jalapenos, lime and vinegar balance the cherry jam. It’s so good!
My favourite way to eat this lovely Cherry Salsa is dabbed on crisp crostini smeared with goat cheese. The tang and creaminess of the goat cheese make it a great pairing with the salsa and the combo makes for an easy company friendly appetizer. Another great way to use Cherry Salsa is as a baked brie topping. Simply spoon the salsa onto your hot baked brie and serve with crisp crackers, crostini or crudites. I originally found this Cherry Salsa paired up pecan-crusted chicken wings. I’ve prepared pecan-crusted chicken cutlets in the past and thought this would also be a wonderful way to use the salsa in a main course. I was not disappointed as the crunchy, nutty cutlets beg for the sweet, spiciness that the salsa offers. The recipe for pecan-crusted chicken cutlets will be coming to the blog soon, so be sure to check back.
Chop dried cherries and combine with cherry jam in a mini food processor or blender. Pulse several times until cherries are about the size of a pea or smaller. Add remaining ingredients and pulse 2-3 times to combine.
Scoop into a serving dish, cover and chill for at least 30 minutes to meld flavours. Use as a topping for crostini, baked brie, breaded chicken cutlets or grilled meats.
Recipe Notes
-I find there is a need to first chop the cherries before adding to the food processor because everything becomes too processed in the time it takes the dried cherries to break down. By chopping the cherries first, the mixture retains most of its texture yet everything is combined.
-If a food processor is not available, simply chop everything by hand and combine.
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This a casserole that I’ve made time and time again. I love it because it makes enough for six people or provides plenty of leftovers, which is important for me as a shift worker. It’s also a comforting, family-style meal that is fantastic served over mashed potatoes. Stroganoff Meatballs is a great fall/winter recipe that you’ll want to make over and over.
For this recipe, you’ll notice that I insist you use a beef soup base such as Knorr OXO Beef in a Mug and not regular beef bouillon powder. This is not a sponsored post, but I’ve tried both beef bouillon cubes and regular beef bouillon powder. They just don’t have the same beef flavour that the soup base does, and it makes all the difference. I do hate to be so particular on an ingredient, but for this recipe I must insist that you use beef soup base such as Knorr OXO Beef in a Mug. It’s worth the little bit of fuss, enjoy!
Author: Compelled to Cook, adapted from Companys Coming Casseroles cookbook 1985.
In a large bowl combine all ingredients and mix until incorporated. Roll into 1-ounce meatballs (about 2 tbsp each) and arrange on a large baking tray lined with parchment. Will yield about 38 meatballs.
Bake for 15 minutes and remove from oven. Reduce heat to 350°F.
Add 2 cups water and OXO soup base and heat to a simmer, stirring to dissolve. Whisk together the cornstarch and 1/4 cup cold water. Add to pot, whisking constantly until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat and whisk in mushroom soup until smoothed out. Stir in sour cream, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, paprika and pepper.
Add meatballs to the sauce and stir gently to coat with sauce. Cover and bake for 30-35 minutes. Remove from oven and serve immediately over noodles, rice or potatoes.
Recipe Notes
-It is a must to use beef soup base (preferably Knorr OXO Beef in a Mug)Â I have tried to use regular beef bouillon cubes and powder, however, they do not have the same level of beef flavour and are not recommended for this recipe.
-Meatballs can be made and cooked up to a day ahead. Keep covered and chilled until ready to use. Cook casserole for 40-45 minutes if using cold meatballs.
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