Calamarata pasta in a tomato seafood sauce with amberjack scallops

Ingredients

For the main dish
• Greater amberjack (yellowtail) — 1 whole fish
• Olive oil — for frying
• Scallops — 6–8 pcs
• Butter — 20–30 g

For the pasta
• Calamarata pasta — 200 g
• Salt
• Basil — 100 g

For the pasta sauce
• Olive oil — 3–4 tbsp
• Garlic — 1 whole head
• Fish head, tail, and backbone
• Yellow tomatoes — 300–400 g
• White wine — 120–150 ml
• Boiling water — 300–400 ml
• Salt
• Black pepper

⸻

Method

1. Fish prep
1. Clean and break down the fish.
2. Remove two fillets — these are for serving.
3. Split the head lengthwise.
4. Keep the tail and backbone whole.
5. Set aside the head, tail, and backbone — they’ll be used for the sauce.

2. Pasta sauce
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C / 355°F.
2. Place a baking tray on the stovetop, warm it up, and drizzle with olive oil.
3. Add the fish head halves, tail, and backbone. Lightly sear.
4. Add the garlic head with the top cut off.
5. Scatter the yellow tomatoes on top.
6. Season with salt and black pepper.
7. Pour in the white wine, then add boiling water — the liquid should just barely cover the fish.
8. Cover with foil and transfer to the oven for 35–40 minutes.
9. Remove from the oven and transfer the tomatoes and the fragrant liquid to a blender.
10. Blend until smooth.

3. Pasta
1. Cook the calamarata in well-salted water until al dente.
2. Pour the sauce into a pan and warm it through.
3. Add the pasta and chopped basil, gently toss, adding a bit of pasta water if needed.

4. Amberjack fillet
1. Cut the fillets into portion-sized pieces.
2. Heat a pan lined with parchment paper, add a little olive oil.
3. Sear the fish until lightly golden.
4. Transfer to the oven and finish cooking at 180°C / 355°F for 5–7 minutes, keeping it juicy.

5. Scallops
1. Score the top of each scallop in a light crosshatch pattern, without cutting all the way through.
2. Heat a pan with butter.
3. Sear the scallops over high heat for 30–40 seconds per side until beautifully golden.

6. Plating
1. Spoon the pasta with sauce onto a plate.
2. Top with pieces of amberjack.
3. Add the seared scallops.
4. Serve immediately while everything is warm and juicy.

Enjoy!