Seared Scallops & Bucatini

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven; preheat to 450°F. Fill a large pot 3/4 of the way up with salted water; cover and heat to boiling on high. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Peel the carrots; halve lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces. Halve and peel the onion; cut into 1/2-inch-wide wedges, keeping the layers intact. Peel and thinly slice the shallot. Roughly chop the parsley leaves and stems. Thinly slice the chives. Pick the mint leaves off the stems. Roughly chop the pistachios. Roughly chop the peppers. In a bowl, combine the ricotta and a drizzle of olive oil; season with salt and pepper.

Place the carrot pieces and onion wedges on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Arrange in an even layer. Roast 18 to 20 minutes, or until browned and tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven. When cool enough to handle, separate the layers of the roasted onion wedges.

Add the pasta to the pot of boiling water. Cook, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes, or until al dente (still slightly firm to the bite). Turn off the heat. Reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water, drain thoroughly and return to the pot.

Meanwhile, pat the scallops dry with paper towels. Using your hands, remove and discard the tough side muscle from each scallop. Season with salt and pepper on both sides. In a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the seasoned scallops in an even layer. Cook 4 to 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Flip and cook 1 to 2 minutes, or until lightly browned and cooked through. Leaving any browned bits (or fond) in the pan, transfer to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, halve crosswise. 

In the pan of reserved fond, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the spinach and sliced shallot; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until the spinach is wilted and the shallot is slightly softened. Turn off the heat.

To the pot of cooked pasta, add the cooked spinach and shallot, butter, verjus (carefully, as the liquid may splatter), and half the reserved pasta cooking water. Cook on medium-high, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes, or until the pasta is coated (if necessary, gradually add the remaining pasta cooking water to ensure the pasta is thoroughly coated). Turn off the heat; gently stir in the halved scallops and chopped parsley. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired. Serve the finished pasta garnished with the sliced chives. On a separate serving dish, spread the seasoned ricotta into an even layer. Top with the roasted carrots and onion and garnish with the mint leaves (tearing just before adding), chopped pistachios, and chopped peppers. Enjoy!