1 pound bay or sea scallops (If using large sea scallops slice in half.)
1 pound campanelli – (Campanelli is a trumpet shaped pasta if you can’t find it fusilli or a similar shaped pasta can be substituted.)
1 cup balsamic vinegar
1 pound asparagus, tough ends cut off and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium red onion halved and sliced thin
1 clove garlic, pressed
½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 ounces Pecorino Romano or Asiago cheese coarsely shredded
1. Bring four quarts water to boil in a large pot. Add pasta to boiling water and stir to separate noodles frequently. Cook according to package directions until al dente, drain and return pasta to pot to keep warm.
2. Bring balsamic vinegar to a boil over medium-high heat in an 8 to 12-inch skillet. Reduce heat to medium and simmer slowly until syrupy and reduced to about a 1/3 cup, about 15 to 20 minutes.
3. While vinegar is reducing, spray a 12-inch nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium-high. Add asparagus, onion, garlic, black pepper, red pepper flakes and ½ teaspoon salt to pan stirring to combine. Cook without stirring until asparagus starts to brown, then stir and continue to cook until asparagus is tender crisp. Add scallops and lemon juice to pan and continue to cook all ingredients together until scallops are no longer translucent, 4 to 5 minutes longer.
4. Add scallop and asparagus mixture to pasta along with basil, ½ of shredded cheese and tablespoon olive oil. Toss everything together gently to combine.
5. Remove from heat and serve immediately, drizzling 1 tablespoon balsamic glaze over each serving.
Yield 4 servings each at approximately 490 calories, 6.5 grams total fat; 2.9 grams saturated fat; 48 milligrams cholesterol; 74 grams total carbohydrate; 3.4 grams dietary fiber; 34.3 grams protein; 631 milligrams sodium.
Compare traditional recipe at 540 calories and 690 calories and 25.4 grams total fat.
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