Spaghetti with Scallops “Romesco”
Inspired by Spanish Romesco sauce, this easy pasta dish featuring a bold red pepper saucwon raves from our tasters. The roasted garlic enhances the natural sweetness of the peppers and scallops. Almonds add body, richness, and complementary nutty flavors.
Total Time: 1 hour
Hands-On Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
- 3 large red bell peppers, quartered; stem, seeds, and white membrane removed
- 1 medium head garlic
- 1 teaspoon plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup seafood stock (or chicken stock)
- 1/3 cup toasted slivered almonds
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for cooking pasta and sprinkling scallops
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 20 medium sea scallops (20–30 per pound)
- Minced chives, for garnish
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°. Set one rack to the middle position and another to the top.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and arrange the pepper slices on the sheet. Peel the outer skin from the garlic and cut off the pointed end of the head to expose the top of each clove. Set, cut side up, on a square of foil and wrap the foil up around it, drizzling in a tablespoon of oil before sealing the package. Transfer the sheet of peppers and the garlic pack to the middle rack of the oven and roast until the peppers begin to blacken at the edges and the garlic is caramelized and soft, about 40 minutes. Remove the garlic and let cool.
Turn on your broiler and move the peppers to the top shelf. Broil, watching closely, until their skins blacken and blister, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool, wrapped loosely in paper towels or, preferably, sealed in a brown paper bag. When the peppers are cool enough to handle, peel off the blackened skin and discard. Transfer the flesh to a food processor. Squeeze the garlic cloves into the processor with the peppers and add the stock, almonds, lemon juice, sugar, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth. Taste and add more salt and pepper as desired.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain and set aside in a covered pot.
Heat the butter and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Season both sides of each scallop with a pinch of salt and sear until both top and bottom are nicely browned, about 2 minutes per side. Add the red pepper sauce to the pot with the scallops and simmer for a minute to let the flavors combine. Divide the pasta among 4 or 6 bowls, depending on whether you’re serving this as a starter or main course. Toss with the scallops and red pepper sauce, and sprinkle with chives. Serve immediately.
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