pappardelle in pesto di capperi con capesante
pappardelle in caper pesto with seared scallops
Making pesto from capers can be tricky - mostly because of how capers tend to be stored. They’re normally bought preserved in vinegar or salt, and having a pesto which is either too salty or vinegary is really quite unpleasant. I’d advise mixing both types of capers, if you have them. With both varieties, make sure you let them sit in water for a couple of hours, ideally maybe all day, before making the pesto. If you haven’t got all day to wait, soak the capers in boiling water for at least 30 mins, check their saltiness, and possibly repeat.
WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO DO
(scroll down for the full method)
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prepare the individual ingredients for the pesto
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grate the cheese, chop the garlic, capers etc
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blend the pesto
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make sure the pesto is at room temperature
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sear the scallops
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boil the pasta
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combine the pesto and pasta, adding scallops
pappardelle in caper pesto with seared scallops
INGREDIENTS
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250g large scallops
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200g small scallops
CAPER PESTO
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30g salted capers
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50g capers in vinegar
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40g flaked almonds
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80g pinoli
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40g parmesan
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30g basil leaves
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7g flat parsley leaves
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1 large garlic clove
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EVO to taste (approx 100ml)
PASTA
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400g fresh pappardelle
MANTECATURA
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none
METHOD
Unlike other recipes for pesto in this book, I’m giving a more precise indication of quantities for this dish - but as with other dishes in this chapter there will still be a certain amount of adjusting flavours ‘to taste’ at the blending stage. Just begin by pulse blending small quantities of each of the ingredients and adding enough oil to help the blender do its work. If you prefer a smoother pesto, omit or reduce the almonds and just use pinoli.
Once you’ve blended the pesto and reached the balance of flavours that’s right for you, let it sit at room temperature for half an hour or so before you start to boil the pasta. At this point you can sear the scallops - I do this in a heavy iron pan which has been wiped with oil and then heated until it’s very hot. Place the scallops in the pan and after 30 seconds turn off the heat, turning each scallop individually to cook on the other side with the residual heat in the pan. Smaller scallops will take about 4-5 min cooking time and larger ones about 6-7 min. Don’t under-cook OR overcook them!
NUTRITION PER SERVING
KCAL: 681
Fat: 44.6g
S/Fat: 7.0g
Carb: 35.3g
Sug: 1.7g
Fib: 5.2g
Prot: 33.5g
Salt: 2.96
Boil and cook the pasta - when it's done to your liking, put about half the total pesto into a pre-warmed pasta pan, and loosen it up with perhaps a third of a ladle of cooking water. Fish the pasta out of the cooking water and add it immediately to the pasta wok, off the heat.
Toss to combine, adding more pesto and tiny amounts of cooking water if it feels too sticky, but don't turn it into a runny mess. When the pasta and sauce are nicely combined, throw in half the scallops. Toss and combine and then plate each portion, sharing out the remainder of the scallops as a topping.
