Pasta con Capesante. Scallop Season.

Sea scallops, besides being a delicious seasonal treat, come loaded with myth and metaphor, from the fertility symbol of antiquity (the shell symbolising the protective and nurturing principle, and inwardly, the “life-force slumbering within the Earth”, an emblem of the vulva) to the modern-day adoption of the scallop shell for less romantic purposes, such as the Shell Petroleum company.

The most endearing connection is the scallop’s association with St James/ Santiago/St Jacques. Those who have walked part, or all the camino, arriving in Santiago di Compostela in Galicia, will be familiar with the cockle shell carried on the end of their bastone or walking stick, to arrive at the Cathedral in Santiago for a blessing or mass. The scallop shell is the most ubiquitous tourist memento from Santiago di Compostela and probably has been since medieval times.

Santiago in his shell covered hat.
Santiago in his shell covered hat.

For the pre-Christian Celt, the scallop shell resembled the setting sun, which was the focus of Celtic rituals in Galicia. The camino route was a Celtic death journey westwards towards the setting sun, terminating at the Finisterra, the end of the world, on the Costa da Morte.

This all makes lots of sense really but then how did St James, Santiago, St Jacques, become associated with sea scallops?

More scallop onamentation on Saint James.
More scallop ornamentation on Saint James.

The association can most likely be traced to the legend that the apostle once rescued a knight covered in scallops. An alternative version of the legend holds that while St. James’ remains were being transported to Galicia in Spain, the horse of a knight fell into the water, and emerged covered in the shells.

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The Italians have three names for the tasty scallop, the most common being capesante, deriving from medieval times when priests used the shell to pour holy water onto the heads of those receiving baptism. The alternate names, conchiglia di San Giacomo (like the French coquilles Saint Jacques)  and conchiglia del pellegrino simply meaning St James’ shell or the shell of the pilgrim.

The English derivation of scallop comes from the French, escalope, meaning ‘shell’, not so historically romantic.

Scallop statues of Santiago di Compostella.
Scallop statues of Santiago di Compostela.

Scallop season begins here in late July (mid winter) in the Bass Straight central district, around the cold and pristine waters off the east Coast of Victoria. The quota has increased this season, indicating that stocks are healthy, and usually runs till early December. Scallops from Lakes Entrance are in a class of their own, especially if you can get them as soon as they arrive in the fisherman’s co-op.

One of my favourite scallop dishes combines them with a super fine pasta such as capellini or tagliatelline egg pasta, with the scallops finely sliced and tossed with lots of garlic sauce and a hint of chilli.

capellini con capsante

Tagliatellini con Capesante. Fine egg pasta with scallops.

Ingredients for Two

  • 200 g thin egg pasta (tagliatelline)
  • 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • two pinches dried chilli flakes
  • your best olive oil, a generous glug
  • 250 gr scallops, cleaned, sliced.
  • dry white wine, around 1/4 glass.
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • finely chopped handful of Italian parsley.

Method

  • Cook the pasta in ample salted boiling water, according to packet instructions.
  • Meanwhile, add olive oil to a large frying pan. When it is hot, quickly stir around the scallop slices. Don’t cook for more than one minute.
  • Add garlic and chilli flakes, toss about, then add the wine, then finely ground black pepper. Toss again. If the pasta isn’t ready, remove the scallop sauce from the heat.
  • Drain the pasta well. Add to the frying pan, folding through with the scallop sauce. Add the parsley then serve in heated bowls.
    tagliatelline con capesante
    tagliatelline con capesante

    This song goes so nicely with scallop season and memories of Santiago de Compostela. Chove en Santiago by Luar na Lubre. When I first heard this song echoing down a rainy lane in Santiago de Compostela, I cried. Sung in Galician, with strong Celtic threads, it still overwhelms me.

32 thoughts on “Pasta con Capesante. Scallop Season.”

    2. Beautifully written, touching and informative. The song was so poignamt and the video made me feel I was back in Italy. I just was looking for description of capesante and you taught me a whole micro-world. Thank you or should I say Gratzi?

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  7. We were discussing scallops here in the northern hemisphere only yesterday. In an area with only the Ohio River as a close body of water, there was a restaurant about 65 years ago called The Oyster House. They were only open in the months of the year with an ‘r’ in them, so September thru April, because that is when they could get the oysters. I can’t imagine they were even that fresh, no way they would have been flown in that long ago, but my parents frequented the place until it burned down and was never rebuilt. Seems to me a rather progressive concept restaurant for that long ago. Your pasta looks delicious.

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  9. I remember being so surprised to see so many scallop shells in Santiago de Compostela, not realising its significance. Thanks for the abbreviated history lesson!

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  11. Even since reading novels written by people who did it, the scallop shell symbol immediately connects the Camino de Santiago and my maybe one-day list 🙂
    The tagliatelline con capesante looks amazing and you left the roe on… my favourite part; it annoys me so when it’s missing.

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    1. The rose is meant to be there- but I know my sister takes them off as she doesn’t fancy them. If they are missing at the fish shop, they aren’t scallops but probably some manufactured scallop meat or frozen stuff from who knows where. I only buy them in season, and only those from lakes Entrance.

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    1. The scallops were quite large so I sliced them across in four. I might add this to the recipe. When sliced, they add flavour and stay soft, without turning into little round balls ( or bullets if cooked too hard). The pics are deceptive- close ups make everything look bigger.

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  16. Pingback: In My Kitchen, September 2018 – ALMOST ITALIAN

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