Pasta, Scallops, and Pesto

Pasta, Scallops, and Pesto

Prep time: 30 minutes | Serves 4

Shopping List

1 small bag of spinach
½ cup of olive oil
½ cup grated hard cheese like asiago or parmesan 
⅓ cup nuts (pine nuts, walnuts, almonds and sunflower seeds all work well) 
1 or 2 cloves of garlic, diced
6 sea scallops, rinsed and patted dry
1 pound of linguini 
1 tbsp of butter
Salt and pepper 

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of of water to boil. Blanch scapes for 1 minute until slightly soft. Remove scapes with tongs and cook linguine until al dente, about 2 minutes for fresh pasta. Drain and set aside. 

2. Using a food processor, blender or immersion blender, pulse garlic, stems, and nuts until roughly chopped. Add oil and pulse until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

3. Add butter to a large sauté pan and melt over high heat. When the butter begins to sizzle, add scallops to the pan and sear for 1.5–2 minutes on each side. Be careful not to let the scallops touch. 

4. In a medium bowl, toss linguine with pesto until coated. Serve scallops over bed of pesto pasta.