Campanelle with Scallops

A simple recipe with quality ingredients makes for a perfect lunch or dinner. Campanelle pasta with its curly shape holds the buttery pasta sauce well. I served with an asparagus custard.

Recipe

12 oz. Campanelle pasta
1/2 tsp. salt + 1 T. for cooking pasta
1-1/2 lbs. large scallops, tendons removed
1/2 tsp. black pepper
5 T. unsalted butter, divided
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
(1) 8-oz. bottle clam juice
1 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated (1/2 c.), plus extra for serving
1/4 c. fresh parsley, chopped
1 T. lemon juice

Bring 4 quarts water to boil in a Dutch oven. Add pasta and 1 T. salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente (I used Barilla brand and cooked for 11 minutes, a little past al dente). Reserve 1/2 c. cooking water, then drain pasta.

Add 1 T. butter to a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in garlic and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add clam juice and cook until reduced by half, about 4-5 minutes. Add pasta, reserved cooking water, Parmesan, parsley, lemon juice and remaining 2 T. butter and toss to combine. 

Pat scallops dry with paper towels and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat 1 T. butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add half of scallops and cook, without moving them, until well browned, about 1-1/2 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to plate and tent with foil. Wipe out skillet with paper towels and repeat with 1 T. butter and remaining scallops.

Serve pasta in a shallow bowl topped with the scallops, passing extra Parmesan separately.