My Birthday Dinner: Grilled Scallops, Scampi Style, with Angel Hair Pasta and roasted green beans

My birthday was great, I got tons of good wishes from friends and family, I got a new Wii game system from my husband and son, and the Wii Fit Plus from my parents and brothers. However, my birthday dinner... not so much.... :o(

Preston and I set out to make the dinner and everything was going great, until we ran out of water in our well because of a faulty toilet that no one had noticed was running. With the scallops seared, the green beans roasted and the pasta al dente, Preston went out hunting for the cause of the water problem and I tried to put dinner "on hold". While Preston was out looking for a leak in the pipes, Asher became more and more cranky and decided he wanted to nurse (NOW!) despite having just finished a yummy baby dinner of mixed green vegetables, chicken noodle, and fruit medly, so I nursed him while waiting for Preston. As soon as we were able I finished dinner by heating the scallops in the scampi sauce and taking the beans out of the oven that I had turned off, but hoped would keep them warm. The pasta had been in the colander waiting for the sauce. Not good. The pasta had continued to cook and was mushy, the scallops were overdone and rubbery, and the beans were overcooked as well (but still tasty!). The recipe is solid, we've had it before, but try not to put this dinner on hold!

Grilled Scallops, Scampi Style, with Angel Hair Pasta

Serves 4 (no nutritional info. available)

Rachael Ray, 365: No Repeats

Ingredients

Coarse salt

1 lb. angel hair pasta

6 garlic cloves, crushed

1/2 c. fresh flat-leaf parsley (a couple of generous handfuls), chopped

1/4 c. EVOO

16 sea scallops (1 1/2 - 2 lbs.)

1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (1/3 palmful)

1/2 c. dry white wine (I used a Viognier)

Zest and juice of one lemon

5 T. cold unsalted butter (I used "I can't believe it's not butter cooking/baking")

1/4 lb. prosciutto di Parma, cut into thin strips

4 scallions, thinly sliced

1. Preheat a grill pan or outdoor grill on high.
2. Place a large pot of water over high heat to boil. Salt the water and cook the angel hair pasta until al dente, with a bite. Heads up: You will be using a couple of ladles of cooking water before draining the pasta.
3. While the pasta cooks, in a bowl combine the garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, and the EVOO. Place half of the garlic mixture with the scallops in another bowl and toss to coat evenly. Transfer the scallops to the hot grill and cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side, until the scallops are firm and opaque.
4. While the scallops are grilling, preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the reserved garlic mixture and the red pepper flakes; cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the garlic is lightly golden brown. Add the wine to the skillet and cook for 1 minute, then add 2 ladles of the pasta cooking water and the lemon zest and juice and continue to cook for two minutes. Add the butter and stir until melted. Add the scallops, toss to coat, add the drained angel hair pasta, and toss to coat again. While tossing the pasta, scatter in the prosciutto and scallions. The salt and onion flavors accent the sweetness of the scallops. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Divide the pasta and scallops among 4 serving plates.

If you don't overcook it, it's really yummy! ;o)

Enjoy!

Oven-Roasted Green Beans

Cooking Light Complete Cookbook

Yield: 4 servings (about 3/4 c.). Calories 56 (39% from fat); Fat 2.4 g. (sat 0.3 g, mono 1.7 g., poly 0.3 g.); Protein 2.1 g.; Carb 8.4 g.; Fiber 3.9 g.; Chol 0 mg.; Iron 1.2 mg.; Sodium 302 mg.; Calc 42 mg.

Prep: 12 min. Cook: 10 min.

Ingredients

1 lb. green beans, trimmed

2 tsp. olive oil (lemon infused is REALLY good if you have it!)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper

cooking spray

2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees
2. Combine beans and next 3 ingredients in a large bowl, tossing well to coat. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 475 degrees for 10 minutes or until tender, turning once.
3. Remove pan from oven; add lemon juice to beans, and toss.

YUMMMM!!!!!!