I love poblanos and I adore pasta, so I decided to put them together and see what would happen. The result was an amazing combination of heat, sea and cream. Sounds delish, right? It was. So, here’s the recipe. If you aren’t partial to scallops, you can easily substitute for shrimp,chicken or completely omit meat altogether.
The Sauce:
5 lg Poblanos
2 med jalapenos
2 c water, divided
1 c cilantro
3 tbs shrimp stock
1¾ c heavy cream
Salt and white pepper to taste
The Pasta:
¾ pound angel hair pasta
Water for boiling
The Scallops:
1 tbs butter
2 tsp garlic
1 lb fresh or thawed bay scallops
¼ c fresh cilantro, chopped
Freshly grated parmesan
Preheat oven to 400°
Arrange the poblanos and jalapenos on a sheet pan and roast, carefully turning peppers when they start to scorch and bubble. Remove peppers and place in a plastic bag as they become fully roasted. Once all of the peppers are in the plastic bag, squeeze all of the air out of the bag, close and wrap in a few kitchen towels. Allow to sit for a minimum of 1 hour. Once the peppers have cooled, remove and discard the seeds and skins. Transfer peppers to a blender with 1 c water. Add 1 c cilantro. Puré until smooth. Pour sauce into medium sauce pot. Add remaining cup of water and shrimp stock. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer over medium high heat for 15-20 minutes. Hit with the cream and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir and allow to simmer an additional 8-10minutes.
While the sauce is simmering, go ahead and boil the angel hair. Cook to preferred donness and strain. Rinse with cold water. Set aside. In a large sauté pan, melt butter over medium high heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Add your scallops. Sear the scallops on all sides, giving them a toss or stir every once in a while.
Once the scallops are cooked, remove from pan and set aside. Add the angel hair to the scallop pan. Bring the pasta back to temp over medium heat. Add the sauce and give it a few tosses to combine well. Mix in the scallops and serve with a little chopped cilantro and freshly grated parmesan.
Girl-Chef Tastes 