Vesuviotti Pasta with Scallops and Onion-Zucchini-Tomato Cream Sauce

I recently bought an interesting imported Italian pasta type called Vesuviotti, which means little Vesuviuses because its shape is apparently meant to symbolize Mt. Vesuvius erupting. I found it at Detweiler's Farm Market.

Vesuviotti

I came up with an easy sauce that went very well with it. I started with the following recipe from allrecipes.com -  http://allrecipes.com/recipe/23404/tomato-cream-sauce-for-pasta/ - and adapted it. I added zucchini and scallops. I substituted cherry tomatoes for canned tomatoes and half and half for cream (so I wouldn't have to go to the store just to buy cream.) I also reduced a couple of ingredients because it was just for the two of us. In addition, I changed the directions a bit. 

I think shrimp would also work nice in this dish.

Ingredients

- 2 tbsp olive oil

- 1/2 onion, diced

- 1 small zucchini sliced into 1/4" rounds

- 1 clove garlic, minced

- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

- 1/2 tbsp dried basil (original recipe called for 1 tbsp)

- 3/4 tsp white sugar

- 1/4 tsp dried oregano

- 1/4 tsp salt

- 1/8 tsp ground black pepper

- 1/2 cup half & half

- 1 tbsp butter

- 1 & 1/2 cups Vesuviotti pasta

- 1 eight-ounce pkg of Publix frozen garlic cream Patagonian scallops (Publix has BOGO sales on these scallops from time to time, and I buy them to use with pasta.)

(I once tried to see how many types of pasta I could identify. I stopped at 365 because there seemed to be no end. Vesuviotti was not one of them.)

Directions

1. Boil pasta for 12-14 minutes, then drain.

2. While pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce:

a. In a saucepan, sauté onion and garlic over medium heat for about 5 minutes.

b. Add tomatoes, zucchini, spices and half & half, and bring to a boil. Boil for about 5 minutes.

c. Add butter and simmer for 5 more minutes.

3. After starting step 2.b. above, cook the frozen scallops for 6-8 minutes in a non-stick pan.

4. Plate the pasta and top with scallops and sauce.