A pasta dish that looks decadent but is good for you! The penne is smothered in a healthy pumpkin sauce and topped with peas and perfectly seared scallops! This dish is easy to make and can be on the table in 20 minutes!
Ingredients
500g penne pasta
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 onion, finely chopped
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup milk
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 Parmesan cheese, grated
1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup peas
For the seared scallops
680g large scallops, patted dry (I used U15 count scallops)
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper
Directions
1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Add the peas in the last minute of cooking. Drain pasta but reserve 1 cup of pasta water.
2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saute pan and add onion. Cook on medium heat until onions are translucent. Add the pumpkin puree, milk, nutmeg, and Parmesan in a saute pan and whisk to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Slowly add the reserved pasta water to thin out the sauce to desired consistency and add the drained pasta and peas and stir to coat evenly. Top with the chopped parsley and additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.
4. For the seared scallops, salt and pepper the scallops on both sides. You will need to cook the scallops in 3-4 batches so as not to overcrowd the pan. In a frying pan, heat 1 teaspoon of butter and 1 teaspoon of oil on medium-high heat. Add the scallops and cook on each side for about 2 minutes. (Depending on your scallop size, you will need to adjust your cooking time accordingly. I used U15 count scallops).
5. Top pasta with the freshly seared scallops and serve!
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