Home Date: Valentine's Day Dinner

So, I am trying to expand what I write about to give you reader(s) more to keep coming back for and myself more opportunities to write.  So I am now including our Home Date recipes.
I am blessed with a fiancée that really knows how to cook, and he often makes me special meals in place of an expensive dinner that we can only occasionally afford.  Valentine's day, this year, was an example of this.  We both decided not to spend the money to go out, so My Love made me this fabulous dinner!
I love pasta and seafood so this dish was especially prepared as my gift, and it was perfect!
My Love chose to make Venetian Shrimp and Scallops over pasta.  And I will warn you that he prides himself on not needing to follow a recipe, so...what we had may not be exactly like this recipe he used, but it should be pretty close.

Ingredients: 
1 lb Scallops
1/4 cup flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
1 tbsp (1 turn around the pan) of extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, chopped (He put it through the garlic press)
1 large shallot, finely chopped (He didn't use)
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken broth or stock
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice
1/4 tsp saffron threads
1 lb shrimp, peeled  (Or as much as desired)
12 leaves fresh basil, shredded or torn
1 lemon, zested
Pasta (we used Spaghetti)
Hot, crusty bread, for plate mopping

Directions:
Boil water for pasta.  Put pasta in when the water is boiling.

Lightly coat the sea scallops in flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Discard remaining flour.

Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil (1 turn around the pan) and butter. When butter melts into oil, add scallops. Brown scallops 2 minutes on each side, then remove from pan.

Add an additional drizzle of olive oil to the pan and add the garlic, shallots, and crushed red pepper flakes. Reduce heat a little and saute garlic and shallots 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add wine to the pan and free up any pan drippings. Reduce wine 1 minute, then add stock, tomatoes and saffron threads. When liquids come to a bubble, add shrimp and cook 3 minutes. Return scallops to the pan and cook shrimp and scallops 2 to 3 minutes longer. Transfer shrimp and scallops to a warm serving dish over pasta and top with basil and lemon zest. Pass plenty of bread to enjoy the juices.

Oh my goodness was this meal fantastic!! It had everything I love!  Plus, we even had fresh french bread from the bakery at our local Fresh & Easy.  The broth is just as good if not better then the pasta itself...we soaked up every last bit with bread.  And after enjoying that amazing dinner, My Love had even made dessert...fresh strawberries dipped in chocolate. Yum!

Whether it is you or your partner that cooks I highly suggest this recipe for a nice candlelit dinner at home.  

Destination: Home

Points of Interest: 
Venetian Shrimp and Scallops http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/venetian-shrimp-and-scallops-recipe/index.html