Pasta with scallops and bacon even pleases a five-year-old

If a recipe's so good that a five-year-old goes back for a second helping, aren't you required to give it a try? It's got scallops and bacon, so just do it already!

You want to know how good this recipe is? It’s so good that my five-year-old had seconds. OK, he does love to eat, but you have to understand that a second helping of a food that you have to eat with a fork is a major accomplishment in this house, so there’s some serious taste motivation going on when that happens.

I will say that he is a normal five-year-old (sometimes….) and did pick out the scallops and the figs (both are kind of mushy, after all) but the rest he ate with gusto.

Keith and I devoured this meal. Sweet figs, crispy and salty bacon, lots of fresh basil and syrupy caramelized onions combine for a balanced taste and texture that was outstanding. When Keith and I both look at each other and say, “Company meal,” at the same time, you know it’s worth making.

Pasta with Scallops and Bacon

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Ingredients:

8 oz. cooked pasta
1/2 stalk Brussels sprouts, roasted for about 20 minutes (400 degrees convection roast) with olive oil, salt and pepper
10 dried figs, reconstituted and quartered
4 slices bacon (I used turkey bacon), cooked and crumbled
1-2 onions, thinly sliced and caramelized
1 pound scallops, drizzled with olive oil and smeared with minced fresh garlic, broiled for 3-6 minutes
about 1 cup of fresh basil leaves, chopped chiffonade style
balsamic vinegar
aged balsamic vinegar (at least 10 years)
olive oil
sea salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
freshly grated pecorino romano (optional)

Cook everything as directed above and toss together. Drizzle with olive oil and the two balsamic vinegars and season to taste. Serve with cheese or just as is.

You could serve an arugula side salad and it would go perfectly with this dish. You could also try it with chicken or shrimp instead of scallops. Adding shitake mushrooms would probably not be a mistake and I’d not even blame you if you tried some broccoli. Be sure to tell us your variations in the comments!