Seared Scallop Cavatappi in Creamy White Wine Sauce
Total Time20minutes
Servings4Servings
Ingredients
4oz.cavatappi
2Tbsp./1 oz. vegetable oil
1lb.fennelwhite part only, thinly sliced
20each/20 oz. “dry” sea scallops
¼cup/1oz. finely chopped shallots
½cup/4 oz. white wine
¼cup/2 oz. heavy cream
3Tbsp.finely chopped dill
Instructions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the cavatappi according to package directions. Drain and reserve.
Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp. of the oil. Add the fennel and season with salt and pepper. Cook, allowing the fennel to caramelize on one side, about 3 minutes before flipping and doing the same on the second side. It should be caramelized on the outside and soft on the inside when pierced with a knife. Remove from pan.
Add the remaining 1 Tbsp. of oil to the pan. Increase heat to high. Season the scallops with salt and pepper. Place them in the pan in a single layer. If they don’t fit, do them in 2 batches. Do not overcrowd the pan. Allow scallops to brown on one side (about 1 minute) then flip and brown the second side. Remove from pan.
Add the shallots to the pan and cook until aromatic (about 30 seconds). Deglaze the pan with the white wine. Cook down just to take the away the raw alcohol flavor (about 1 minute). Add the cream and cook another minute. Stir in the dill. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Add the pasta and fennel to heat through.
For each serving, divide the pasta between 4 bowls. Place 5 scallops on each plate.