Short and sweet this post is going to be. Just like the recipe.

Find yourself the best bay (or sea) scallops, olive oil, red pepper, parsley and bread crumbs (do not omit this ingredient, trust me)

Then set everything up, fire up your stove and go to town, in less than 10 minutes (if you use fresh pasta – like I did) you will have such a wonderful dish in your hands, that you husband (or better half) will be telling you how much he loves you all over again.

SCALLOP SAUCE WITH OLIVE OIL, GARLIC, AND HOT PEPPER

For 6 servings

1 pound fresh bay OR deep sea scallops
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon garlic chopped very fine
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Chopped hot red chili pepper, to taste
Salt
1 pound pasta
½ cup dry, unflavored bread crumbs (I used Panko), lightly toasted in the oven or in a skillet

Recommended pasta: As in so many other seafood sauces, spaghettini, thin spaghetti, is the most congenial shape, but spaghetti is an equally valid choice. Note: I used fresh spaghetti bought at my local super market and it was just as good and faster too!

Wash the scallops in cold water, pat thoroughly dry with a cloth towel, and cut up into pieces about 3/8 inches thick (if using large sea scallops).

Tip: Dry the scallops as much as you can, this way you can make sure they sear perfectly when you add them to the hot pan.

Put the olive oil and garlic in a saucepan turn on the heat to medium, and cook, stirring, until the garlic becomes colored a light gold. Add the parsley and hot pepper. Stir once or twice, and then add the scallops along with one or two large pinches of salt.

Turn the heat up to high, and cook for about 1½ minutes, stirring frequently, until the scallops lose their shine and turn a flat white. Do not overcook the scallops or they will become tough. Taste and correct for salt and hot pepper.

If the scallops shed a lot of liquid, remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon, and boil down the watery juices. Return the scallops to the pan, turn them over quickly, and then turn off the heat.

Toss thoroughly with cooked drained spaghettini, add the bread crumbs, toss again, and serve at once

This was excellent the day it was made, but I took some left over to work the next day and during lunch when my co-workers kept coming to my desk to find out “What smelled so good” I knew this was a keeper.

This was our last Gusty Cook July recipe choice, given to us by Marie from Weekend Viands, August is looking to be just as exciting, check out our recipe line-up here