Fall is in full swing! I've been to the Goshen Fair, apple picking, planted daffodil bulbs, started making Halloween costumes, and I'm still waking up in the dark!
Best of all, fall flavors are here to stay for a while. While I absolutely love to turn on the oven and braise and bake all day, I often just don't have the time. So, when I create a recipe that says "fall," but doesn't take hours to make, I get really excited.
A few weeks ago I had the luxury of spending the weekend at the shore with a chef-friend. What a joy to get together with another food and wine buddy! Fortunatley the Connecticut farmers were still harvesting and bringing their crops to market - there's nothing like shopping at the farmer's market to get the creative juices flowing. After munching on our hearty locally grown sausage and breakfast sandwiches, we picked up a beautiful butternut squash and shallots. Being at the shore we knew the meal should center around seafood. It's the perfect time of year for local shellfish and since we wanted something fast and fresh, we chose some lovely New England scallops. For maximam flavor, it's crucial to chose scallops that are "dry packed." These scallops have been shucked and packed on ice prior to shipping. They taste far better than wet-packed scallops, which are soaked in water and sodium tripolyphosphate. The drier the scallop, the more of that tasty caramelization you will achieve when searing the scallops.
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I hope you get a chance to enjoy this fast and fresh fall dinner!
Linguine with Seared Sea Scallops, Butternut Squash and Sage-Butter
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4 servings
1 pound fresh linguine
16 sea scallops (dry-packed)
medium-sized butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 cup thinly sliced shitake mushrooms (or any wild mushroom)
2 small shallots, finely chopped
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup fresh sage leaves
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
5 tablespoons olive oil
1. In a large non-stick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add shallots and cook for about 1-2 minutes or until tender (do not brown).
2. Add cubed squash to same skillet and cook over medium heat until just tender (about 10-15 minutes). Add mushrooms and saute until soft (about 3-5 minutes). Transfer vegetables to a dish, cover and keep warm. Wipe out skillet with a paper towel.
3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add one tablespoon olive oil. (you want to cook the linguine about the same time the scallops are cooking - fresh pasta cooks in only about 2 minutes ). Follow instructions on pasta package. Drain and return to pan.
4. In the same non-stick skillet, heat remaining olive oil over medium-high heat. Dry scallops thoroughly with paper towels; season both sides with salt and pepper. Cook scallops for about 2-3 minutes per side - they should get nicely browned. Remove from pan and keep warm.
5. Add butter to same skillet. Once butter has melted, add sage and cook over medium heat until sage in cripsy, but not browned. Remove from heat. Toss half the melted butter with the pasta - reserving the crispy sage.
6. Arrange pasta in center of plate. Place scallops on top of pasta, vegetables around the pasta and drizzle remaing butter and sage over scallops. Garnish with freshly grated parmesan.
* chef's note: a small portion of this recipe would also make an excellent first course for a dinner party
