Seafood Fettuccine

A year or so ago, I wouldn't have even known it was possible to veganize a recipe like this.  Luckily, I've since discovered three amazing products - vegan shrimp (from Vegetarian Plus), vegan scallops (from Vibrant Life), and vegan crab (from Match meats).  You can purchase all three at veganessentials.com, if not available at a store near you.  Do remember that both the shrimp and crab are sold frozen, and need to be thawed in advance of this recipe.  The sauce on this dish is like a fettuccine Alfredo, but not quite so heavy, making for a great supper with a glass of crisp white (vegan) wine.

Ingredients: 

• 1 and 1/2 tablespoons vegan butter
• 1 cup chopped green onions
• 4 minced garlic cloves
• 1 pound Vegetarian Plus shrimp, thawed
• 1 pound drained canned vegan scallops
• 2 cups plain non-dairy creamer
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 8 ounces Match crab, thawed
• 3/4 cup grated vegan cheese, divided
• 8 cups hot cooked fettuccine (about 1 pound uncooked)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the green onions and garlic; saute for 1 minute.  Add the shrimp and scallops; saute for 3 minutes.  Reduce the heat to medium-low.

2. Add the non-dairy creamer, the salt, the black pepper, and the crab; cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly (do not let the mixture boil).  Gradually sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the cheese, stirring constantly, and continue to cook for 1 minute.

Note: the original recipe called for Parmesan, and I briefly considered using the Parmesan sprinkles from Galaxy Foods.  However, the sprinkles have a very strong, concentrated flavor. With such a large quantity called for, I opted for the vegan mozzarella from Galaxy Foods instead.

3. Remove from heat and combine the seafood mixture with the cooked fettuccine in a large bowl.  Place 1 and 1/2 cups of pasta on each of 8 plates; top each serving with 1 and 1/2 teaspoons additional grated cheese, and 1 and 1/2 teaspoons parsley.

Nutrition Info:
8 servings (1 and 1/2 cups pasta, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cheese, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons parsley), Calories 438

Tasting Notes:
This pasta was deliciously seafood-y, which is still a jolt to my taste buds after so long without the real thing, and yet also quite fun.  The weakest point here is the scallops, which aren't as authentic yet as their shrimp and crab counterpoints.  In particular, I loved the way that the crab gave a nice fishy-ness to every bite, since it broke down into small pieces during cooking.  As the recipe had promised, the cream sauce was rich without being too heavy.  Don't skip the parsley on top; the added bit of green and freshness is a welcome contrast to the rich pasta - you could even increase the amount per serving if you like.  I might add some green peas, to increase the vegetable quotient.

Rating:
3.5