A solid pesto never gets old. Pesto goes with everything – meat, veggies, seafood, soups, breads, anything! I used to call my grandma during college and ask, “What’s pops’s pesto recipe again?” She’d shuffle through her “notes” drawer (where she kept her planner, paper clips, erasers, pencils, pens, spiral mini notepads, gum, bobby pins, etc) and pull out a crumbled piece of paper where she wrote down that recipe. She knew I’d call for it, and I’m pretty sure she still has it in that drawer.
Over the years, I developed my own version of a pesto, after going vegan. You really don’t miss the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and it cuts the calorie and fat count down substantially. Paired with a light protein like these beautiful diver scallops, lightly pan-seared in olive oil, and you’ve got the perfect weeknight fancy dinner, that takes less than 10 minutes to make!
It’s crucial not to overcook scallops – if you do, they become chewy and not so fancy. Also, I chose the ribbons instead of spaghetti here, because more noodle surface area = more pesto! Serve this with a nice Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc, and you’ll think you’re dining al fresco in the middle of summer…. even though it’s the beginning of fall.
For the full recipe, check out my guest post at the lovely In Sonnet’s Kitchen, by clicking here.
Pesto Zucchini Noodles with Pan Seared Diver Scallops
Ingredients
- For the pesto
- 3 cup basil leaves packed
- ¼ cup of pinenuts
- ¼ cup of olive oil
- ½ tsp grinded sea salt
- ¼ tsp grinded pepper
- 1 large clove of garlic minced
- For the rest
- 1 medium zucchini spiralized using the ribbons blade (Blade A)
- 6 large diver scallops
- 1 tbsp canola oil
- 1 pinch of garlic powder
Instructions
- Put all of the ingredients for the pesto into a food processor and pulse until creamy. Taste and adjust to your preference.
- Place the zucchini noodles in a bowl with the pesto and mix to combine thoroughly, coating all of the noodles with pesto. Place onto two plates and set aside.
- Place a skillet over medium-high heat and add in the canola oil.
- While the oil heats, pat down your scallops to make sure they are dry. Season both sides with salt and pepper and add the pinch of garlic powder to one side.
- Place the scallops on the skillet and sear for 2 minutes. Do not touch or move. Flip over, sear for 1 more minute and then place on top of the zucchini noodles. Enjoy!
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