Brown Butter Scallops Walnut Pesto Pasta Recipes

BROWN BUTTER SCALLOPS + WALNUT PESTO PASTA

Steps:

• To a blender, add the walnuts, fresh basil, Parmesan, olive oil, salt, crushed red pepper, garlic clove, lemon juice and a few pinches of salt. Pulse until very smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender as needed. Give it a taste and adjust the salt and crushed red pepper to your liking.
• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta per the package's instructions (mine said about 9 minutes). Scoop out about 1/2 cup of pasta water (you can eyeball this measurement) and set it aside. Drain the pasta and transfer it back to the pot. Pour in the pesto, along with a splash of pasta water. Give it a toss and cover the pot with a lid so it stays warm.
• Start by patting the scallops dry with a paper towel (this helps with them getting nice and browned). Sprinkle both sides with a teeny bit of salt. In a small skillet, set over medium-high heat, add the oil. When hot, add the scallops, cooking on each side for about 1 to 2 minutes, until nice and golden brown. Repeat until you've worked your way through all of the scallops. Set them aside. Add the butter to the pan and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until it goes from melted to foamy to nutty and browned. Remove immediately.
• Divide the pasta amongst to bowls. Top with the scallops and a few spoonfuls of the browned butter. Garnish with little basil leaves.

TWISTED PASTA WITH BROWN BUTTER AND WALNUTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Lay walnuts on a baking sheet and bake 7 to 10 minutes, until toasted and fragrant. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente.
• In a skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Continue to heat and stir the butter until it turns light brown, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the sage leaves. Cook until crisped and the butter has turned a dark shade of brown.
• Toss the butter and sage gently with the pasta, being careful not to break the sage leaves up too much. Divide pasta among serving bowls and top with the crushed toasted walnuts.