Linguine Pasta with Sea Scallops and Asparagus Creamy Sauce

Make any dinner special with this easy and quick linguine pasta

made with crispy asparagus, delicate, and perfectly seared sea scallops

mixed in a rich and flavorful saffron creamy sauce

Great news! You survived :) Yes, if you are reading this post it means you endured the craziness of this long holiday weekend. Woohooo!
First of all,  I hope your Thanksgiving was super delicious, not too stressful, and as fun-filled as mine. As you can see, I went horseback riding over the weekend. And I absolutely loved it!

Second of all, let's weight the damages... Did you step on your scale and see what all that turkey and mouthwatering pies have done to you?!? I say, if you haven't done it yet, let's NOT!! At least, not yet :)
My suggestions for this week are a few little extra workouts, and a light and healthy (non-turkey, please!!!) dinner. And you'll be back to your fantastic shape in no time.
Over the weekend, other than horseback riding, I played squash and tennis. And beach volleyball twice this week. That's a good start, right?!? My secret to working out is doing something that I love, that gives me motivation and extra energy. Something that I can't wait to do, and always (or almost always) find the time for.

Now let's talk about dinner. No more turkey leftovers in my house, thank goodness! I really liked my turkey, but there are so many ways in which you can eat it (sandwich, salad, wrap, quesadillas...) before you cannot take it anymore.
So for dinner tonight: a light, creamy and mouthwatering linguine pasta with low-calorie sea scallops and healthy asparagus. It's a one dish dinner, easy and super quick. Who wants to spend too  much time in the kitchen, after all the cooking madness last week?!?

This pasta combines the fresh, earthy taste of asparagus, with the sweet and delicate flavor of the sea scallops, seared to perfection in only a few minutes. All tossed with a delicious sauce made with heavy cream and a dash of saffron. Flavorful and luxurious. You won't be disappointed.

And a big thank you to Lobster Anywhere for the sea scallops. This company not only offers overnight delivery of live or frozen, top quality lobsters from Maine, but also other delicious seafood. The sea scallops were truly amazing. If you are interested, make sure to check them out: www.LobsterAnywhere.com

Buon Appetito :)

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Ingredients: serving 4

• 8 large sea Scallops, mine were about 12 oz, (340 gr)
• half medium onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 8 oz (220 gr) of fresh asparagus
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) of heavy cream
• a pinch saffron
• 12 oz (340 gr) of linguine pasta
• 1 tablespoons of butter 
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Directions: 
1. Defrost the sea scallops if using frozen ones like I did. If you remember ahead of time, place in the refrigerator, in a bowl covered with plastic wrap, overnight. If you didn't plan ahead, like I never do, place the sea scallops in a sealed plastic bag, in a bowl filled with water. You can either leave the water running or replace it  often.

2.Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook the pasta as directed on the box. Make sure it's al dente!

3. While the water boils, prepare the sauce. In a large skillet, saute' the chopped onion and the garlic (crushed or minced) in two tablespoons of olive oil. Cook for about 4 minutes.

4. Snap the bottom of the asparagus with your hands, as close to the bottom as you can. Slice the upper part in pieces. I cut them thin, in a diagonal way, so they cook faster.
Add the asparagus to the pan and saute' for about 5 to 10 minutes Depending on how thick the asparagus are. Add a bit of the boiling water (a quarter of a cup) from the pan where you are cooking the pasta. Salt to taste. Cook until the asparagus are tender but still a bit crispy.

5. Dissolve the saffron in the heavy cream and add to the pan. Bring to a simmer.

6. Salt and pepper the scallops. In a separate grilling pan, add the butter an melt over medium-high heat. Add the scallop and sear for about 2 minutes each side, until golden. Don't overcook the sea scallops!

7. Cut four of the scallops in pieces, and add to the asparagus sauce. Save the other four sea scallops for later. Drain the pasta (saving some of the water) when ready and toss in the pan with the sauce. Add a few tablespoons of the water if the cream is too dense.

8. Serve immediately, adding one sea scallop on top of each plate of pasta.

Enjoy :)