Joe Misseri

Scallop Penne with Mint-Spinach Pesto, Roasted Mushrooms, and Walnuts

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 4 oz cremini mushrooms

• 10 oz bay scallops

• 1/4 cup peas

• 1/8 oz mint

• 1 lemon

• 3 oz baby spinach

• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

• 1 tablespoon walnuts

• 1 clove garlic

• 1 oz shaved parmesan cheese

• 6 oz penne

• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

• olive oil, salt, pepper

Equipment

1 medium pan, 1 baking sheet, 1 pot for pasta

Prep Ingredients

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high heat

2. Wipe mushrooms clean damp paper towel and cut into 1/4 inch slices.

3. Pick mint leaves (discard stems), halve lemon, cut 1 half into wedges for serving.

Roast mushrooms and walnuts

1. On half of a baking sheet, toss mushrooms w/ smoked paprika, 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, and pepper. Arrange in a single layer and roast until brown 14 minutes(…move on to step 3 and come back)

2. After 14 minutes, add walnuts to the other half of the sheet and roast until golden 3-4 minutes.

Make mint-spinach pesto

1. While mushrooms roast, in a blender or food processor, combine garlic clove, ming, half of spinach, half of parmesan, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and 1 tablespoon water then pulse until smooth. Stir in juice of 1/2 lemon, salt and pepper.

   (if no blender, just finely chop mint, garlic, and spinach then stir together in a bowl)

Cook penne and peas

1. Add salt to boiling water

2. Dump pasta in and cook for 5 minutes, then add peas to cook for another 1 minute

3. Drain and return to pot, off heat

Sear scallops

1. While penne cooks, dry scallops w/ a paper towel then heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat.

2. Add scallops when oil is shimmering, cook for 2 minutes without stirring then stir and cook for another 1 minute. Season w/ salt and pepper and remove from heat.

Finish and Plate

1. Add pesto, scallops, remaining spinach, half of mushrooms to pot w/ penne and peas and toss to combine.

2. Plate into bowls and top w/ walnuts, remaining mushrooms, and remaining cheese. Add crushed red pepper and lemon wedges on the side.

Recipe via plated