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Baked Tomato and Feta Pappardelle with Seared Scallops

Course Main Course
Servings 2

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/2 cups pappardelle pasta (about half a package)
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes
  • 4 cloves of garlic chopped
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 block of feta cheese 6 oz or so
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup of basil leaves torn
  • 8 fresh good quality scallops (this is where you spend your money, honey)
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400F.
  • In a 9 by 13 baking dish, toss the tomatoes with the garlic, the thyme, and a generous drizzle of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Set the feta in the centre of it all and drizzle with another little bit of olive oil, and season it all with the red pepper flakes. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the tomatoes have burst and the feta is all gooey. I'd eat this right here right now with a damn spoon.
  • Cook the pasta according to package directions, reserving a ladleful of the pasta cooking water (notice I do this every time? It's cuz it saves your ass if your pasta sauce isn't creamy enough. Just watch your sauce's salt content if you've already salted the pasta water, cuz that gets interesting, hoo-boy).
  • Mix the baked feta into the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Toss the pasta in the tomatoes and feta, sprinkle with the basil, and taste it to see if it needs more salt and pepper or red pepper flakes. Add a bit of the pasta cooking water to help sauce it up.
  • Heat a sauté pan over high heat-- it's gotta be hot to prevent sticking. Add two tbsp of butter. Pat the scallops dry with a paper towel and then season them with salt and pepper. Sear them in the hot pan for 2 minutes, then turn and sear for 1 more minute on the other side. Add the remaining butter and turn them around in it, giving them a nice butter bath. Take them off the heat immediately.
  • Serve the pasta with the scallops on top. Accept that marriage proposal that is surely coming to you. Unless you're not into that, in which case, have a really nice awkward evening.