Linguine with Scallops, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and Pine Nuts

By Bill Malloy

Sweet scallops, intense sun-dried tomatoes, and rich, crunchy pine nuts offer a rather incredible blend of textures and flavors.  Don't cook the scallops too long or they'll toughen.  If you have bay rather than sea scallops, use them whole and saute them, stirring, for no more than two minutes in all.

This is one of our favorites as well as Ryan's and Mary Rose's.  I first made it at Tom's house for his birthday and all of his family liked it.

Serves 4

1/4 cup pine nuts
3/4 pound linguine
6 TB olive oil
1 1/2 pounds sea scallops, or bay scallops (see note)
salt
1/2 cup reconstituted dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
6 cloves garlic, minced
6 TB chopped fresh parsley or 3 TB dried parsley
scant 1/2 tsp dried red-pepper flakes

1.  Heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Toast the pine nuts in the oven until golden brown, about 4 minutes.  (They will burn if roasted too long.)
2.  In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the linguine until just done, about 12 minutes.  Drain the pasta.
3.  Meanwhile, heat 1 TB of the oil in a large nonstick frying pan over moderately high heat until very hot.  Season the scallops with 1/8 tsp salt.  Put the sea scallops in the pan and sear until brown on the bottom, 1-2 minutes.  Turn and sear until brown on the other side, 1-2 minutes.  Remove the scallops and cut them into quarters. (See note above for bay scallops.)
4.  In the same pan, heat the remaining 5 TB oil over moderate heat.  Add the tomatoes, garlic, 2 TB of the parsley, the red-pepper flakes, and 1/2 tsp salt.  Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.  Toss with the pasta, scallops, pine nuts, and the remaining 4 TB of parsley.