The ultimate bright & fresh scallop pasta! Herbaceous pesto pasta topped with perfectly seared sea scallops, roasted red peppers (or cherry tomatoes!), & toasted pine nuts. This seared scallop pesto pasta recipe is the perfect warm weather dinner – great for for weeknight cooking, date night, girls’ night, or any other spring & summer special occasions.
Category
Lunch / Dinner
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Author:
Madeline
The ultimate bright & fresh scallop pasta! Herbaceous pesto pasta topped with perfectly seared sea scallops, roasted red peppers (or cherry tomatoes!), & toasted pine nuts. This seared scallop pesto pasta recipe is the perfect warm weather dinner – great for for weeknight cooking, date night, girls’ night, or any other spring & summer special occasions.

Ingredients
-
1 cup Sauce Boxx Basil & Pepita Pesto
12 ounces of pasta of choice
- 2 tablespoons Olive oil
- 1 1/2 pound Jumbo sea scallops, rinsed and prepped
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 pint Cherry tomatoes
Directions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, generously salt the water. Add the pasta and cook to al dente according to package directions.
Scallops
Add the olive oil to a large nonstick skillet.
Season the scallops generously with kosher salt, about 1 teaspoon per pound.
If desired, season with cracked black pepper.
Once the oil is hot, sear the the scallops.
Working in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan, carefully transfer the scallops to the skillet.
Cook, giving the pan a gentle shake every so often, for 2-3 minutes, until a deep golden crust has formed on bottom of the scallops.
Flip and cook for 1-2 minutes more, until the scallops are opaque & cooked through.
Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. Repeat with any remaining scallops.
- Transfer the pasta back into the pot used to boil it. Add the Sauce Boxx Basil & Pepita Pesto & toss to combine.Mark as complete
- Transfer the pesto pasta to serving dish. Top with scallops, roasted red peppers/cherry tomatoes, & toasted pine nuts, lemon zest, crushed red pepper flake, thinly sliced fresh basil, grated parmesan, etc., as desired. Enjoy!
Transfer the pasta back into the pot used to boil it. Add the Sauce Boxx Basil & Pepita Pesto & toss to combine.
Serving
- Transfer the pesto pasta to serving dish. Top with scallops, roasted red peppers/cherry tomatoes, & toasted pine nuts, lemon zest, crushed red pepper flake, thinly sliced fresh basil, grated parmesan, etc., as desired. Enjoy!