Moist, tender, sweet sea scallops are stuffed with fresh basil then pan seared to develop the most heavenly caramelized crust. Serve over pasta, drizzled with lemon wine sauce then garnished with plenty of bacon.
¼-1/2lb.pastacooked (try quinoa pasta for a gluten free option)
4piecesbaconcooked & crumbled
¾lb.sea scallops(about 9 scallops)
salt & pepper to taste
9fresh basil leaves
1Tablespoonolive oil
1Tablespoonbutter
1teaspoonminced garlic or 2 cloves
3Tablespoonslemon juice
¼cupdry white wine or chicken broth
2TablespoonsParmesan or Pecorino-Romano cheesegrated
Instructions
Cook pasta according to package directions and keep warm.
While pasts is cooking, cook bacon and drain on paper towel. Crumble when cooled and set aside.
Rinse scallops and pat dry. Season each side with salt & pepper. then cut through center horizontally almost to other side to make a pocket for stuffing. Stuff a leaf of basil into each scallop.
Slice scallop horizontally almost all the way through, making a pocket. ut through center horizontally almost to other side to make a pocket for stuffing. Stuff a leaf of basil into each scallop.
Stuff a leaf of basil into each scallop.
Heat oil in large skillet and saute garlic for 1 minute. Add scallops, making sure to keep them apart from one another. Brown 1 side. r, and brown on both sides, about 1-½ minutes each side. Remove from skillet and keep warm.
Turn scallops over, add butter and sear other side for about 1-½ minutes. Remove from skillet and keep warm.
Add lemon juice and wine to skillet, scraping to get brown bits from bottom of pan. Simmer for 1-2 minutes. then add cheese and stir.
Add cheese and stir.
In 2 large pasta bowls, place a small amount of pasta. Divide the scallops evenly between the bowls. Pour a good amount of lemon wine sauce over all then garnish with crumbled bacon.
Notes
Tips for Searing Sea Scallops
Make sure the scallops are dry. If using frozen ones, thaw them in the refrigerator (not in a water bath) then remove them and pat dry with a paper towel. If using fresh, make sure you purchase dry scallops & then pat dry.
Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Wait for the pan to begin to smoke before adding scallops.
Make sure scallops have plenty of room to cook. You do not want any touching each other as that will cause them to steam instead of sear. OVERCROWDING the pan is the biggest mistake most people make.
Cook just 1-½ minutes per side or until they get a nice caramelized crust on the outside.