Wanna look good in a bikini? Then quit stuffing yourself with fettuccine. Instead stuff yourself with slimming summer squash transformed into a very satisfying linguini. Gentlemen might just want to put a zucchini in their bikini briefs….
Ingredients
Pesto
• 1 bunch fresh parsley
• large handful of arugula
• 1 clove garlic, grated or finely minced
• 1 cup walnuts
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• salt to taste
• 1/2 cup olive oil
Zucchini Pasta
• 2 large zucchinis
• pinch of salt
• 12 large scallops
Garnish
• 1/2 bunch of chopped fresh parsley
• fresh cracked pepper
• really good olive oil
To Make the Lemony Pesto:
1) Combine all the pesto ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.
2) Use what you need for the pasta, and save the leftovers in the fridge. (Top it with a layer of fresh oil and some plastic
and it will keep for up to a week.)
To Make the Zucchini Pasta:
1) Get a good vegetable peeler or a mandoline and start trimming off long ribbons of zucchini. Once your peeling hits the zip-strip of seeds in the centre of the zucchini, rotate and peel the other side until all that remains is the core of seeds.
2) Pile a couple of the ribbons on top of each other and slice them lengthwise into the desired thickness.
3) Get a large frying pan on the stove and let it warm up for 5 minutes. Dump all the zucchini into the pan, scoop on lots of pesto all over and toss to coat. Put a lid on and cook for 3 minutes to warm it through.
For the Scallops:
1) Get a large frying pan on high heat. Preheat the pan for 5 minutes.
2) Place all the scallops on a plate lined with paper towel. Lay some more paper towel on top and pat the scallops dry.
3) Get a small plate with oil ready. Dip the scallops lightly in the oil before placing them into the dry pan starting at the 12 o’clock position and making your way around clockwise. That way when you start flipping the scallops you can do them in order.
4) Cook the scallops until the bottoms are brown and seared, about 3 minutes. Flip and continue cooking the other side for 3 more minutes. Serve immediately, and don’t let your scallops get over- cooked. Discard the dipping oil.
To serve:
1) Serve up six piping-hot bowls of zucchini ribbons and top each pile with a bit more pesto and two or three scallops.
2) Crack on loads of pepper and a drizzle of good olive oil.
3) Serve zucchini linguini with a martini in your bikini.
Originally published in Swerve magazine on July.8.11.
