Seared sea scallops on top of a simple pasta tossed with arugula
One of the most delicious sauces to toss with al dente pasta is a simple combination of quality extra virgin olive oil, minced garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. (A sprinkling of shredded Parmesan cheese doesn’t hurt the cause either.) A quick-and-easy, go-to pasta sauce that is so flavorful and allows you to use whatever add-ins you have on hand. For example, throw some steamed broccoli or maybe even some shredded chicken or cooked shrimp into the mix. Or what about a topping of seared sea scallops and a handful of peppery arugula? I couldn’t pass up these enormous sea scallops at Whole Foods the other day; when I got home to see what I could serve alongside these seared delights, I saw some spaghetti in the pantry and zoom….my mind went straight to making my Pan Seared Scallops over Pasta with Garlic, Oil & Red Pepper Flakes. A gourmet pasta dish that is decadent and unique to the palate.
(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)
Pan Seared Scallops over Pasta with Garlic, Oil & Red Pepper Flakes
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. spaghetti (any long past will do, even fettuccine, bucatini, or angel hair)
- ½ cup quality extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (more if you want more heat!)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 cups arugula
- For the scallops:
- 12 sea scallops
- Salt & Pepper
- ½ teaspoon olive oil
- To garnish: shredded Parmesan cheese
Directions:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add in the pasta and cook until al dente, 11-13 minutes. Drain and place in a large mixing bowl.
- In the meantime, place the oil, red pepper flakes and garlic in a saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, or until warmed through and garlic begins to speak. Pour over the cooked pasta and toss in the arugula.
- Season the scallops with a touch of salt and pepper. Heat a non-stick pan with the ½ teaspoon of olive oil, over medium-high heat. Sear the scallops for 1 minute on each side, or until the scallops are caramelized and opaque throughout. Remove from the heat.
- Divide the pasta among your serving bowls, top with 3 scallops each and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.
Tagged: Arugula, crushed red pepper flakes, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, Italian, pasta, scallops, seared scallops, shellfish
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