Seared Scallops with Cilantro Pesto

I'm so behind on here...we've been out of town a lot in the past month, and although I try to get on here to blog what I'm cooking, it doesn't always happen. Here's a recipe I made last week, and it was delish. I used fresh cilantro from our garden, and served it over spaghetti. My scallops were small, so even though I patted them dry, they didn't really get a sear to them. The pesto just made the dish! This recipe is from cooksillustrated.com

Serves 4. Published March 1, 1996.

This recipe was developed for a standard sea scallop, about the size of a short, squat marshmallow. If using smaller scallops, turn off the heat as soon as you turn them; they will finish cooking from the residual heat, fifteen to thirty seconds longer. For very large scallops, turn the heat to low once they have browned and continue cooking for one minute. Turn the scallops, raise the heat to medium, and cook them at least two minutes on the second side. If made ahead, the pesto separates slightly but the flavor doesn’t suffer. If grilling or broiling scallops, Chef Ed Brown, who developed this recipe, recommends brushing this pesto directly onto the scallops before cooking.

Ingredients

Pesto
1	cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
1	tablespoon pine nuts
1	medium clove garlic , chopped coarse
1/2	teaspoon grated lemon zest from 1 small lemon
1/4	teaspoon table salt
1/8	teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4	cup olive oil
Scallops
1 1/2	pounds sea scallops , about 30 to a pound, small side muscles removed (see illustration below)
1 1/2	tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

1. Pulse cilantro, pine nuts, garlic, zest, salt, and pepper in bowl of food processor until minced. With motor running, gradually add oil. Process until smooth; set aside.

2. Sprinkle scallops on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat large (11-inch) sauté pan over medium-high heat until hot, about 1 minute. Add half the oil; swirl to coat bottom. Continue to heat pan until butter begins to turn golden brown. Add half the scallops, one at a time, flat side down; cook, adjusting heat as necessary to prevent fat from burning, until scallops are well browned, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Using tongs, turn scallops, one at a time; cook until medium-rare (sides firmed up and all but middle third of scallop opaque), 30 seconds to 1 1/2 minutes longer, depending on size. Repeat cooking process using remaining half of oil and scallops. Divide scallops among four plates. Drizzle portion of pesto over each plate of scallops. Serve immediately