Pan-Seared Scallops Served Over Pesto Pasta Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves
• 1 cup fresh baby spinach leaves
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled
• Sea salt
• ½ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup almonds
• ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese

• Salt
• pound dry Italian linguine

• 2 tablespoons melted clarified butter
• 10 (U-10) dry (diver) scallops
• Hawaiian black lava salt

To make the pesto
1. Rinse and spin-dry basil and spinach leaves. Place basil, spinach, garlic, sea salt to taste, olive oil, and almonds in a food processor. Pulse until well blended. Add Parmesan cheese and pulse quickly just to blend cheese into pesto. Set aside.
To prepare the pasta
2. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add linguine and cook to al dente following package instructions. Drain in a colander.
To prepare the scallops
3. While pasta is cooking, place a large nonstick sauté pan over high heat. When pan is hot, add clarified butter. Place scallops in the pan, allowing space around each. Sear scallops on each side for about 2–3 minutes, until scallops have a caramelized glaze and have just cooked through and become opaque at the center.
To assemble
4. During the last minute the scallops are cooking, place hot linguine in a large bowl. Add about ¼ cup pesto and toss well with tongs. Divide linguine between 2 individual pasta bowls. Place 5 scallops atop each portion of pasta (4 in a square and 1 on top as a tower). Drizzle scallops with remaining pan butter. Sprinkle with black lava salt. Serve immediately.