Seared Scallops with Linguini & Cream Sauce

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Here's the thing - I'm not a huge fan of seafood and by seafood I mean anything that tastes remotely fishy; lobster, salmon, crab, you get the idea. That being said, I love sushi or a lightly seared Ahi Tuna - YUM. So, imagine my surprise last summer when I went out on a limb and tried scallops seared in a lemon butter sauce. Not fishy at all in fact, they were amazing!

I had forgotten about my new found love of scallops until I stumbled upon this seared scallop, pasta recipe. If you've followed my food journey at all, you know I'm all about finding a new pasta dish. This is the perfect blend of cream, parmesan - and with the scallops, it simply melts in your mouth.

Ingredients:

Cream Sauce:

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

• Kosher salt & ground pepper
• 12oz. dried linguini
• 1/3 cup frozen peas
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 1lb. sea scallops

Directions:

1. In a saucepan over medium-low heat, warm cream.
2. In another saucepan over medium heat, melt butter.
3. Once butter is melted, add to cream, stir in parmesan cheese and add salt, pepper and nutmeg.
4. Bring sauce to simmer and cook gently until sauce slightly thickens, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, being careful not to overcook or sauce will be too thick.
5. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil and cook linguine according to the package directions.
6. Ladle 1 cup of pasta water to a heat-proof bowl and set aside.
7. Drain pasta, rinsing under cold water, drain and set aside.
8. Rinse out pasta pot and add cream sauce, heating gently.
9. Add pasta and peas and toss, cooking until pasta is warmed. (If sauce seems too thick, add reserved pasta water, 1 tablespoon at a time)
10. Stir in lemon zest and season with salt and pepper.
11. In a large sauté pan over high heat, warm olive oil.
12. Remove tab of muscle from scallops and generously salt and pepper.
13. When pan is hot, sear scallops and just until rare, 2 - 3 minutes per side. Your scallops should be lightly browned on each side.
14. Divide pasta among plates and top with scallops, serving immediately.

Pair with Ferrari Chardonnay & enjoy!

Photo by Jonathan Stiers ©2016 | Recipe from Williams-Sonoma