Lime Glazed Scallops on Creamy Wasabi Fettuccine

The nice thing about this recipe is you can make almost any substitution you want for some of the more basic items. Just use whatever you have in your pantry.

12 oz dry fettuccini or tagliatelle
1/3 cup pickled ginger
2 lbs large sea scallops
1 tbsp freshly grated lime peel
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp wasabi powder
1 ¼ cups skim milk (thickened it with corn starch)
¼ cup butter
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
chives, to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain well. Chop ¼ cup of the ginger and reserve.

Remove connective muscle (it looks like a little knob on the side of the scallop) from each scallop and discard. Pat dry. Toss scallops with lime peel, garlic and a little salt and pepper.

Heat vegetable oil in a large, heavy skillet set over medium-high heat. Add about one-third of the scallops to the pan and cook, without disturbing, for 2 minutes or until deep golden. They may stick at first but will then release as they become brown. Turn and cook 2 minutes longer or until cooked through and deeply golden on the other side. Remove from pan and repeat as necessary to cook all of the remaining scallops.

Blend wasabi with 2 tbsp of milk to make a paste. Pour remaining cream into skillet used to cook the scallops. Add butter and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and whisk in wasabi paste, chopped ginger and Parmesan. Add noodles and cooked scallops.

Toss to coat in sauce. Taste and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to pasta bowls and garnish with rosettes made from the remaining pickled ginger.