Simple scallops

Simple broiled scallops, parsley and lemon pasta, 'kickin' sautéed asparagus

I made this after I was flush with fresh new finds (try saying that 5 times fast!) from grocery shopping. Gorgeous scallops, incredibly fresh, rosy-hued and sweetly fragranced; asparagus snapping away to be eaten; firm, bright parsley that looked like mini green fans.  The makings of a light and satisfying dinner!

We ate the scallops with a generous serving of spicy asparagus and a tangle of spaghetti laced with fresh parsley, lemon, and garlic. Light and flavorful, it was a well-balanced and very satisfying dinner. A glass of crisp Pinot Grigio or sparkling rosé would go great with this meal (must remember this for next time!).


Simple broiled scallops:

With seafood that's this fresh, very little preparation is needed to let the flavors take center stage. This serves 3 (4 scallops each).

I drizzled the scallops (12 whole, fresh scallops) with olive oil, a bit of salt and pepper, and set them to broil on high for about 8 minutes (4 minutes on each side, until the scallops became opaque and were no longer translucent.

I finished it off with a drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil and fresh lemon juiced squeezed all over. That's it! As long as you start with the freshest scallops you can find, you really can't go wrong.


Parsley and lemon pasta:

This was also very simple to make. This serves about 3 (2 if you're extra hungry :).

After the pasta (1/3 of a 1 lb package) was cooked and drained, I melted about 1 tbsp of butter over low heat (the lowest setting), added the drained pasta right back in, and stirred to coat the spaghetti with the butter.

Next, I added about 1 tsp of freshly pressed garlic (2-3 large-ish cloves), a pinch of salt, and a generous sprinkling of black pepper.

I added coarsely chopped fresh parsley right before serving (about 1/2 cup of chopped parsley), and topped it off with a generous glug of extra virgin olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice.


'Kickin' sautéed asparagus:

Start with 1 bunch of asparagus, washed and trimmed of the tough bottom part of the stem. I like to cut about an inch off from the bottom, and use my peeler on the couple of inches above it to expose as much of the tender insides as possible.

I snapped my asparagus a couple of times so they were about finger length. In a large saucepan, heat one chopped garlic clove with olive oil (chop another garlic clove and reserve for the last step), 1/2 finely chopped jalapeno pepper, a bit of salt, and black pepper until it begins to sizzle. Add the asparagus, stir to coat, and cover. Let cook for about 4 minutes, occasionally giving it a quick stir. Add 1/2 cup of tomato sauce (I just use whatever is sitting around in the fridge), stir, cover, and cook for another 3 minutes. Keep an eye on your asparagus at this point - you want it to stay vibrantly green and for it to stay tender and yet still toothy crisp. At the last minute before shutting off the heat, toss in the rest of your garlic, stir, and cover for a couple of minutes after you've shut off the heat to let the flavors meld. Serve hot and squeezed with fresh lemon juice.