Saute or grill the sea scallops for perfect crispness

Sea scallops, pesto, and succulent, juicy, caramelized bell pepper are one of my favorite combinations. The crisp sea scallops require a sauce, and pesto is always my go-to. For this dish, I added roasted brussel sprouts for a balance of textures. Roasted and grilled vegetables are the perfect accompaniment to pesto’s vibrant flavor. For even more succulence and sweetness, add a heaping pile of caramelized onion.

Ingredients (For 4 servings):

Pesto

16 sea scallops (4 scallops per person) rinsed

Extra virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

Red pepper flakes (optional)

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

4 cups halved or quartered brussel sprouts

2 or 3 yellow or red bell peppers, sliced into two inch pieces

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. On a small lined sheet pan, toss the brussel sprouts with salt, pepper, and a dash of olive oil. Bake them on the sheet pan for about 20 minutes, or until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside.

Meanwhile, heat a drizzle of olive oil on a grill pan over medium high heat. Add the peppers to the pan and sprinkle with a small pinch of salt and pepper. Grill for about 15 minutes, turning every so often so that they grill evenly.

In a large bowl, toss the rinsed sea scallops with a bit of olive oil, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and minced garlic. Move the peppers to one side of the grill pan and add a bit more olive oil to the pan to prepare for the scallops. Add the scallops and grill 3 minutes on each side, or until opaque. Do not move the scallops around once you’ve set them on the grill pan, otherwise they will not get grill marks.

Plate each with equal amount vegetables and scallops and top with a few spoonfuls of pesto.