Pesto Linguine with Grilled Scallops, Asparagus and Cherry Tomatoes

This light, elegant pasta was the result of a fridge and cupboard cleanout...6 jumbo scallops left in the package I had bought for a previous meal; some fresh picked yellow and red cherry tomatoes from a neighbour that were at peak ripeness and wouldn't last if not used; 16 spears of asparagus; spinach, arugula and basil pesto that I had made and not yet frozen; lemon infused olive oil and some toasted pinenuts.

I asked my husband to make some fresh linguine, which he was only too happy to do, as linguine with pesto is one of his favourite dishes! The pesto I had made using basil and arugula that I had grown. The arugula had quite an intense peppery bite to it, which gave the pesto an extra kick.

I marinated the scallops very briefly in lemon infused olive oil and cayenne pepper, which complimented their sweetness. The fresh, homegrown cherry tomatoes marinated in some of the pesto; the heat from the pasta warmed them to room temperature, perfect for a summer night dinner.

This is a meal that can be prepared in the time it takes water to boil, and pasta to cook.

On a plate, combine:

1 -2 tablespoons lemon infused olive oil
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Pinch of salt and ground black pepper

Add:

6 cleaned, jumbo scallops

Turn to coat on all sides. Cover and set aside while you prepare the pasta and vegetables.



Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Oil and heat the barbecue. Cut 16 spears of fresh asparagus into 3" lengths; these will be blanched in the pasta water when it boils. While the water and barbecue are heating, prepare the sauce...

Cut cherry tomatoes in half, and toss with pesto:

1 cup halved tomatoes
1 - 2 tablespoons of pesto

Set aside.




When the pasta water starts to boil, add the pasta. If you are using fresh pasta as I was, it only takes a few minutes to cook, so the scallops can be put onto the grill right away, and the asparagus can be added to the water when the pasta is half cooked.

If using dried pasta, allow it to cook until almost done before putting the scallops onto the grill and adding the asparagus.

Thread the scallops onto 2 bamboo skewers, as shown.

Grill the scallops on the hot grill, until just cooked. This only takes about 2 - 3 minutes per side.

Remove from the grill and plate your pasta.




Drain the cooked pasta and return to the pot.
Add:

the cherry tomatoes and pesto
the blanched asparagus
1/4 cup of pesto
salt and pepper to taste





To serve, divide the pasta, cherry tomatoes and asparagus between 2 plates, and place 3 of the grilled scallops on top. Garnish with grated Parmeasan and toasted pinenuts. Buon appetito!

• I had purchased a package of frozen jumbo scallops, and used some of them to make Thai Red Curry Crusted Halibut with a Lime Coconut Broth using scallops instead of halibut. There were 6 scallops left, so I used them for this meal.
•  Make sure to clean the 'foot' off the scallops before cooking them. This is a small muscle on the side of each scallop, and it can be very tough if cooked. It peels off very easily.
• The marinade for the scallops was really just to add flavour. The oil also prevents sticking on the barbecue.
• Any flavour infused olive oil can be used. If you don't have any, use extra virgin olive oil and add grated lemon zest.
• Using 2 skewers for the scallops stops them from swinging around when you turn them on the grill. It keeps them flat and they cook evenly.
• Any pesto can be used. As I mentioned, the fresh arugula in mine was quite peppery, which gave the dish a lovely bite.
• If your pesto does not contain spinach, consider adding shredded fresh spinach to the pasta with the tomatoes, asparagus and pesto.
• The asparagus can be grilled.
• Prawns, firm white fish such as cod, salmon or chicken can be used instead of the scallops.