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5 from 1 vote

Pan Seared Scallops and Superfood Pesto

These Pan Seared Scallops and Roasted Cherry Tomatoes pair perfectly with my Superfood Pesto recipe, made up of kale, spinach and basil!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 3

Ingredients

  • One package frozen medium-sized sea scallops
  • 1 red onion diced
  • Half package dried Orzo
  • One package cherry/grape tomatoes
  • One yellow pepper chopped
  • Bunch of fresh flat-leaved parsley
  • 3 tbsp olive oil

Pesto

  • One bunch fresh basil
  • Handful of baby spinach leaves
  • leaves Fourof kale
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/8 cup olive oil
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • Lemon juice to taste optional
  • Red pepper flakes to taste optional

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • Defrost scallops carefully in microwave, checking every few seconds so as not to cook them. Dry them bit by bit to the best of your ability with paper towel. Once dried, season with salt and pepper. Put aside.
  • Cook orzo according to package directions. Meanwhile, wash cherry tomatoes and place on oven pan covered in parchment paper. Drizzle in olive oil and season with salt and pepper, plus a little bit of the minced garlic leftover from the pesto.
  • While cherry tomatoes are cooking, combine pesto ingredients in a food processor or small blender like a Magic Bullet (that's what we use!). You may need to add a bit of water to get it to blend well.
  • Drain orzo and mix 1/2 tbsp of olive oil in so the pasta doesn't dry while sitting. Meanwhile, heat large frying pan with 2 tbsp of olive oil on high until oil starts to smoke. Drop scallops in and sear for 45 seconds each side, flipping with a fork.
  • Remove cherry tomatoes from oven, and set aside. Mix pesto and orzo together and heat on stovetop along with yellow pepper and red onion. Alternatively, you can drizzle the pesto overtop of your orzo if you want a more controlled serving.
  • Remove from heat and top each serving of orzo and pesto mixture with cherry tomatoes and scallops. You can also add a bit of freshly grated parmesan if you'd like! Enjoy!