Seared Fair Trade Scallops with Lemon Pesto

Fair Trade Certified Recipe

Hankering for a homemade meal but short on time and/or patience? Look no further. We've seared frozen Fair Trade Certified™ scallops and drizzled them with fresh pesto in this crazy-quick recipe. Plate with slices of your favorite hearty bread, and voila! Dinner in under 10 minutes. Don't feel like washing your blender? Use pre-made pesto instead. Simple. Satisfying. Sustainable.

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Ingredients

  • 2 cups fresh Fair Trade Certified basil leaves (no stems)
  • 2 large cloves garlic
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus 2 tsp
  • 2 tsp lemon juice (from a Fair Trade Certified lemon) and 1 tsp lemon zest
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 1 to 1¼ pounds Fair Trade Certified sea scallops (approximately 16), thawed, rinsed, and placed on a paper towel to dry
  • 2 tsp unsalted butter
  • Arugula leaves (to garnish)
     

Preparation Instructions

  1. Make the pesto. In a food processor or blender, combine the basil, garlic, ½ cup of olive oil,  lemon juice and zest, salt, and pepper. Pulse to combine.
  2. If present, remove the muscle from the side of the scallops and season the scallops with salt and pepper. Add the butter and oil to a medium nonstick skillet over high heat. Add the scallops when the pan is hot. Sear the scallops for a minute and a half on each side. The scallops should have a golden crust on each side while still being translucent inside.
  3. Divide the scallops between four plates. Drizzle with pesto and olive oil. Serve with fresh greens and white beans.