Lemon Ricotta Pasta

Lemon-Ricotta Pasta - made September 15, 2012 from Crumb blog

You have to click on the recipe title to go to the original blog this is from.  I say that because that's how the recipe should turn out.  It was originally scallops with lemon ricotta pasta but, ahem, I took some liberties with the recipe (you were expecting that one, right?).  In my defense, I started out intending to make the recipe as is.  But the wheels came off that bus when I couldn't find scallops at Trader Joe's which is where I was shopping to make this recipe a reality.  No problem, I knew I was making the Garlicky Baked Shrimp so I figured that would do and the scallop-less pasta would be the accompaniment.

Other than the scallops thing, I fared better following this recipe more religiously than the other recipe.  Except for the part where I only had 1 tablespoon of olive oil left in the bottle and hadn't bought a new bottle because I could've sworn I wasn't running that low on olive oil.  And I thought 475 g of ricotta cheese was a lot to use.  And I wasn't willing to make an entire package of pasta or else I'd be eating this thing for weeks.  So....I made some adjustments.  This turned out okay, if a bit bland.  I could probably have used more lemon juice or salt and pepper.  But it was good enough to eat with the shrimp. 

This is the original recipe, not the one I actually ended up making, although it was somewhat close:

1 box pappardelle or fettuccine pasta (I used whole wheat spaghetti)
12 large fresh sea scallops
4 tbsp good-quality olive oil, divided
1 tbsp butter
Zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 1/2 cups fresh green peas, shelled and blanched (I used corn kernels)
4 tbsp fresh thyme, minced (preferably lemon thyme, if you have it - Trader Joe's didn't so I didn't)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 container (475g) ricotta cheese

1. Cook the pasta per package directions until al dente.
2. While pasta is cooking, rinse scallops and pat dry. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter over high heat in a skillet until foamy. Sprinkle scallops with a little salt and pepper; place in skillet in single layer. Cook, turning once, until brown on outside and just opaque in center, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. Drain pasta and return to the pot over low heat. Stir in lemon zest, juice, remaining 3 tbsp olive oil, peas, and thyme. Toss to coat, then season with salt and lots of pepper. Add the ricotta and mix gently until pasta is coated evenly.
4. To serve, divide the pasta between four plates, topping each with three scallops and a sprig of fresh thyme.