Pasta Puttanesca With Bay Scallops

Pasta Puttanesca With Bay Scallops

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces whole wheat spaghetti

• 1 lb. bay scallops, rinsed and dried

• 1 tbsp butter

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh sage

• 1 tsp dried oregano leaves

• 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

• 1/4 cup pitted chopped/sliced Kalamata olives

• 2 tbsp capers

• 1 tsp anchovy paste

• 1 14-ounce can diced tomato

• 1 cup packed baby spinach

• 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

• salt for pasta water

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil; add a generous amount of salt. Cook pasta in boiling salted water according to the directions on the package. Before draining pasta, save 1 cup of the liquid.

2. While the pasta is cooking, heat butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the scallops and cook for 1 minute before turning. Cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute more. Remove from pan and reserve.

3. Add the 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan and cook garlic on medium-low heat for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until fragrant. Add in the sage, oregano, red pepper flakes, olives, capers and anchovy paste. Cook for 2 minutes on medium heat. Stir in the tomatoes and reduce heat to simmer, cooking for 5 minutes. Add the spinach cook for a minute or two. Spinach should wilt slightly. Remove from heat.

4. Add the pasta to the pan and stir to combine. If you'd like the pasta a bit more saucy, add in some of the reserved pasta water - a tablespoon at a time. Stir in the reserved scallops.

5. Top with grated Parmesan and serve hot with a salad of your choice.

Yields: about 5 to 6 servings

Notes&Tips:

• This is definitely a weeknight dinner that doesn't require a whole lot of preparation. Your family will think you labored over this! And it is definitely delicious.

• This is a dish that you can make regularly while changing up a few ingredients each time. Try using basil or parsley instead of sage and you'll get a different taste. Or substitute the bay scallops for shrimp or squid or some other seafood. Maybe make it vegetarian. You can also swap out the spinach for arugula, kale or swiss chard. The possibilities are almost endless with this Puttanesca.

• You could also substitute thin spaghetti or angel hair pasta for the whole wheat pasta used here.

• Pasta Puttanesca With Whole Wheat Spaghetti is a wholesome dish that you will want to serve again and again.