Bay Scallops with Pesto Spaghetti (and caprese, and oysters)

Keegan brought us fresh bay scallops from the farmer's market yesterday! Eaten raw (because they are so fresh you can do that) they taste just like summer - saltwater and beach. Interestingly, though, as Keegan told us, summer is the only time when you really can't get bay scallops. The irony. He also brought some oysters to be enjoyed raw. Here is Keegan shucking oysters (I think that is the appropriate term...).


After eating the raw oysters (ok, I only ate one. I'm still new to this seafood thing... But I did enjoy it) we had caprese. Simply slice fresh mozzerella, place a few slices of basil and a slice of tomato on each. Sprinkle with sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Although this is really a summer appetizer, I always think it is delicious.


We made Pesto to go with the spaghetti. I love making different varieties of pesto. We made a simple basil pesto. In a food processor or blender, combine one bunch of basil, some pine nuts, a few cloves of garlic, parmesan, and olive oil. Mmmm.


We quickly sauteed the scallops with some butter, tossed the spaghetti with pesto, and served!

Bay Scallops and Spaghetti with Garlic and Shallots

I'm new to this whole seafood thing. Now that I like it however, I can't get enough! Scallops in particular are my favorite. This dish was super easy and delicious. Although fresh scallops are obviously preferable, I used frozen bay scallops from Trader Joes. Rather than defrost them for 6 hours in the fridge as they recommend, I placed them in a container with water and microwaved them for about 3 minutes. They worked out great. A bit of chopped parsley would probably make a great addition to this dish as well. Enjoy!

Ingredients
5 cloves of garlic, minced (less if you’re not obsessed with garlic like me)
2 large shallots, chopped
1 Lb Bay Scallops
1 Lb Spaghetti (or linguine, bucati, or other pasta)
1 Tbs garlice butter (or more, as needed. Regular butter would work well too)

Directions
Put a pot of water on to boil. Cook spaghetti until al dente. Mix with a drizzle of oil to keep from sticking before adding to pan.

Heat butter in a saute pan. Add garlic and shallots and cook until the garlic is slightly brown and shallots are translucent. Add the scallops and cook until cooked through, 5-10 minutes. Add the spaghetti and toss. Serve in a bowl and enjoy!