Delicious, Nutritious Scallops

So I’ve got fish on the mind a lot lately, and tonight was no exception as scallops hit the dinner menu. I saw them at the store today, and knew they had to be dinner, no ifs, ands or buts about it. No recipe in mind, I brought them home and forgot about them until nearly dinnertime when I went to search for a recipe. Only one problem. Forgot I’ve packed nearly all my cookbooks up in preparation for our move in two weeks. I only left two Rachael Ray books and one Martha Stewart, and no scallops recipes were in any of them. What to do? Ahhh, my files! Thank goodness for my files. I thumbed quickly to the scallop folder and came up with three possibilties that wouldn’t require another trip to the grocery store. Decisions, decisions. I left it up to Madeline and she decided dinner for me. Scallops and Walnut Pesto over Cappellini it was.

I’d be hard pressed to find a meal that cooks up as quickly as this one. You cook the scallops at the same time you put the cappellini in the boiling water, and you can have dinner done in 15 minutes flat. Perfect for a weeknight meal. These days, Nicholas likes his pasta two ways: plain with nothing on it, or just tomato sauce. Usually I set some aside for him when making pasta, but forgot this time. I picked out a bunch that had a little less pesto on it, and held my breath. Two bowls later he came up for air, declaring that it was yummy and he “liked pasta with little stuff on it (herbes de provence and pesto), because sometimes that’s ok, and it doesn’t taste bad.” Phew!

Either way, this one is sure to be a crowd pleaser, and in the hot summer months that will soon be here, this is great for keeping your kitchen cool. And as an added bonus, it’s also my submission to Ruth’s weekly Presto Pasta Round-Up.

A year ago today… ARF/5-A-Day inspiration.
Two years ago today… one of my favorite cheeses.

P.S. And yup, this spot was reserved for The Neighbors, and again, no post. I give up. Amateurs. ;)

Scallops And Walnut Pesto Over Cappellini
Source: Family Circle
Prep: 12 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes

Ingredients
Walnut Pesto:
1 cup shelled walnuts
3/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, rinsed and patted dry
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon bottled chopped garlic
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Cappellini and Scallops:
1 pound cappellini
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
1-1/2 pounds sea scallops, halved horizontally
1 teaspoon dried herbs de Provence
1/2 cup dry white wine

Bring large pot of water to boiling for cappellini.

Walnut Pesto: In food processor, coarsely chop walnuts. Add parsley, Parmesan, oil, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Pulse until well combined and walnuts are finely chopped.

Cappellini and Scallops: Add cappellini to boiling water. Cook 4 to 6 minutes following package directions.

In large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add scallops and herbs de Proven¿e; sauté 3 minutes. Add wine; cook 1 minute. Remove from heat. Drain cappellini. In large bowl, toss scallops with any pan liquid with cappellini and walnut pesto. Serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings.

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