Seared Scallops with Arugula Pesto
Adapted from Cooking From Scratch from PCC Community Markets
Makes 4 Servings
Ingredients:
4 cups baby arugula (about 4 ounces)
4 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ ounce (3 tablespoons) grated Pecorino Romano sheep cheese
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and ground pepper
1 pound scallops
1 tablespoon ghee
1 tablespoon butter
Directions:
- 1. In the work bowl of a food processor, combine the arugula, 3 tablespoons of the pine nuts, garlic, lemon juice, and Pecorino; pulse about eight times, until everything is chopped. With the machine running, drizzle in the olive oil until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper; set aside.
- 2. Rinse the scallops, pat them dry with paper towels, and season them generously with salt and pepper. In a cast-iron or stainless-steel sauté pan over high heat, heat the ghee and butter until they shimmer, then place the scallops in the pan so they are not touching. Don’t touch them again until you are ready to flip so that a golden crust forms, about 1 ½ to 3 minutes on the first side. Gently flip them over and cook for an additional 30-90 seconds. They should have a golden crust on each side while the centers remain slightly translucent. The scallops will continue to cook a little once removed from the heat.
- 3. Spread the pesto on a plate, top with the scallops and sprinkle with the additional 1 tablespoon pine nuts and serve immediately.
Note: Save extra pesto in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 1 month. A perfect toss with spaghetti squash or other spiralized vegetable or served with roasted chicken or white fish.