Sambal Pasta with Masala Seared Scallops

Daniel
Mar 23, 2021
3 min read

Updated: May 22

This recipe is featured in my ECookbook:

Foodnotes - Sambal

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As I had shared before about my most kept secret of cooking pasta. Well, not a secret anymore. No unnecessary large pot of water and without the need to season the water with loads of salt. Lesser cooking time too. Just the right amount of creaminess without any cream or extra cheeses added.

It all boils down to very simple calculations of math and science; all you need are 2 skillets and good quality pasta.

Perhaps I will talk more about the quality of pasta in the future. Because it does make a lot of difference. Anyway, this recipe popped into my mind while I was searching for ways to incorporate sambal into pasta. I was thinking why not fused Chinese, Indo and Italian into 1 cohesive dish. And the rest is history.

I added some masala seared scallops for some je ne sais quoi to the pasta. You can of cos skip the scallops and the pasta will still be yummilicious on its own. Or should I say, pastalicious? Lol! I will definitely be making this series available as an E-Cookbook shortly. Please stay tuned.

Ingredients:

(Serve 1)

Pasta:
Spaghetti / Any Pasta Of Your Choice, 100g
Hot Water, 400g
Sea Salt, Pinch
Sauce:
High Quality Olive Oil, 2 TBSP
Ginger Finely Minced, 1 Inch
Garlic Finely Minced, 3 Cloves
Tomato Puree / Ketchup, 1 TBSP
Kecap Manis, 2 TBSP
Rice Wine / ShaoXing Wine, 2 TBSP
Sambal Homemade, 3 TBSP (Adjust To Preference)
Scallops:
Canola / Sunflower / Grapeseed / Peanut Oil, 2 TBSP
Scallops, 3
Sea Salt, Pinch
Your Favourite Masala, Pinch (I am using Madras Masala)
Ghee, 1 TBSP
Scallions / Coriander / Parsley Finely Sliced, For Garnish

Equipment:

2 Cast Iron Skillet / Pan

Directions:

Please visit my "How To Make Madras Masala" page for the recipe.
Please visit my "How To Make Sambal" page for the recipe.
Please visit my "How To Make Kecap Manis" page for the recipe.
Cook the Pasta
In a skillet or wide pan, add pasta and enough hot water to cover.
Season water with salt.
Simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until just under al dente.
Prepare the Sauce
In a second skillet or pan, heat olive oil over medium heat.
Add ginger and garlic and sauté until aromatic.
Stir in:
Tomato puree
Kecap manis
Sambal
Rice wine
Remove from heat and stir to combine.
Combine Pasta & Sauce
Once pasta is nearly done, pour the sauce into the pasta skillet.
Do not drain the pasta—the starchy water helps emulsify and thicken the sauce.
Toss to combine well.
Remove from heat and set aside while you cook the scallops.
Sear the Scallops
Season scallops generously with masala and salt on both sides.
Heat oil in a clean skillet over medium-high until it reaches smoking point.
Gently add scallops one by one.
Add ghee, tilt the pan, and baste scallops with the hot fat until they’re ¾ cooked.
Flip and cook for 15 seconds on the second side.
Remove from heat.
Serve
Just before serving, reheat the pasta over medium heat for about 30 seconds, until it loosens up.
Plate the pasta, then top with the seared scallops.
Garnish with scallions.
Serve immediately.

How's my pasta pull?

Recipe Video: