Scallops Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce

I had a bag of Bay Scallops from Trader Joes, and I had no idea what I wanted to do with them. I just knew that I wanted to do a pasta dish. After searching a little online, I found this recipe and blended it a little with what I pictured in my head. This was delicious. I would order this at a restaurant, it was perfect for my tastes. Bay scallops are a little bit sweeter than Sea Scallops, and they are smaller, so they cook faster (and are even easier to overcook, so be careful!). I'm really excited that I've been able to try cooking scallops at home. They are a nice alternative to the usual protein choices that I make. For those of you who don't like seafood, I would imagine this recipe would taste pretty good with chicken as well.



Scallops Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce
1 small bag Bay Scallops, thawed and drained
1 Tbs Butter
1/2 cup white wine
1 large shallot, diced (about 2 Tbs)
1 clove garlic
1 cup heavy cream (I used nonfat 1/2 & 1/2)
1 small can (14.5 oz) crushed tomatoes
1/4 to 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 Tbs chopped fresh basil (I used 2 Trader Joes basil cubes)
1/2 lb whole wheat linguine pasta
Cook pasta according to package directions. Rinse and pat the scallops dry. Heat the butter in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the scallops and saute for one minute. Add garlic, shallots and wine. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until scallops are done. Remove scallops from pan with slotted spoon, reserving liquids. Add tomato, cream and pepper flakes and reduce by half. Add basil and scallops and toss with hot pasta. Serve with parmesan cheese.