Lemon Linguine with Arugula, Bacon and Seared Scallops

I am excited to get back in the kitchen cooking recipes for you all, although I will say I am tripping over myself a lot. Trying to remember where I put a certain utensil when I unpacked, leaves me going back and forth from drawer to drawer, often tripping over my own feet. I am however, loving my upgraded kitchen! Hopefully, lots of great recipes will be born in it.

Today’s recipe has a lot of things that might scare you - arugula, leek, scallops, but please don’t be intimidated. Keep reading.

Have you even heard of leeks? A leek is basically a large green onion. I will talk to you a bit more about leeks down below.  If you can’t find leek at your store, you could really use any mild onion.

Arugula. Do you like arugula? Arugula is just a type of green that has what some call, a peppery taste. It does have a unique flavor, but don’t think straight black pepper and lettuce. Arugula is one of my favorite greens and I love it cold or warm. Arugula is becoming more popular, but if you can’t find it at your store, you can use spinach.

Scallops - my favorite!! When I first developed this recipe, I actually used shrimp because we always have that on hand. You always hear me say fresh is the best, but we like to have proteins, including seafood, on hand all the time, so I buy the already deveined and easy peel frozen shrimp by the bagful. Great for quick meals. This time around, instead of shrimp, I decided to use scallops because I love them so much! I would say nine out of ten times if scallops are on the menu, I am ordering them. I don’t on the other hand cook with them much. To me, they are a special occasion type of meal. Why not have a special occasion type meal at home? This meal is quick cooking, so give it a try, even if your special occasion is during the week - Lemon Linguine with Arugula, Bacon and Seared Scallops.

Lemon Linguine with Arugula, Bacon and Seared Scallops
Servings, 4

Ingredients:
Linguine, 8 ounces dried (whole wheat if you can find it)
Sea scallops, 2-4 per person depending on size
Arugula, couple handfuls
Leek, 1
Garlic, 2 cloves
Lemon,1
Extra virgin olive oil, 3 T
Crushed red pepper, ¼ - ½ tsp (depending on the level of heat you like)
Bacon, 2-4 slices depending on size
Shredded parmesan, approximately ¼ c
 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Slice and soak leek. 

Better Bonus Tip: Leeks need to be cleaned well to get the sand and dirt out. When you cook with leeks, you can use all the way to the medium green color. I like to cut the tip off and then the dark green stalk. Next, cut down the middle and then slice into half moons pieces. Before using, you will need to soak in water, breaking up the pieces with your hands. DO NOT skip this step!

Add bacon slices to an elevated baking sheet (baking/roasting pan with edges and a cooling rack resting on top). Add the little foil pouch with chopped leek and garlic to oven with the bacon. Cook for 15-20 minutes, until crispy.  When done cooking, chop the bacon into pieces.  Set leek and garlic to the side.

Better Bonus Tip:  This is my favorite way to cook bacon, but if you prefer microwave or stove top, do that. (You could also cook your leek and garlic on the stove top). I like this method because your bacon isn’t sitting in the fat and if you line your pan with foil, you have easy clean up.

Cook pasta according to directions.  Make sure you remember to salt the water.

Make dressing by mixing zest of a lemon, juice of half of the lemon, 3 T extra virgin olive oil, crushed red pepper and pinch of salt. Set aside. 

Wash and pat dry scallops (they need to be really dry). If you see a little flap on the side of the scallop, you will need to remove it. The flap is the abductor muscle. Sometimes prior to purchase they are removed, but just make sure you check.

Season with salt and pepper. Add cooking oil spray to a skillet over high heat. Do not add scallops until pan is very hot and almost smoky. Cook scallops for two minutes. DO NOT, I repeat do not move scallops in pan or you will not end up with that nice brown crispy edge. Cook another minute to two on the other side,  making sure not to overcook. The side should still be slightly translucent.

To serve, add leek, garlic and raw arugula to pasta and toss to coat with dressing. Place seared scallops on top. Add few sprinkles of shredded parmesan, and crumbled bacon. Use the other half of your lemon for one last squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Better Bonus Tip: For a more budget friendly meal, you can absolutely substitute shrimp just as I did the first time I made this, instead of the scallops.

Hope you enjoy!

On a side note, sadly my blogging is not ready for it to get darker earlier. You can see the quality of the pictures decreases as the meal progress. The darn sun was going down and you know I only like natural pictures without a flash. Hopefully you all are adjusting better than I!

See you next week.

~Ashley