Pan-Seared Scallops with Bacon and Spinach

Yum! This dish was absolutely delicious! Once the bacon hit the pan, the kitchen was immediately filled with an amazing aroma. Both Bryan and I couldn’t wait for dinner to be served. I bought fresh scallops from the seafood road show at Costco as well as spinach in bulk. Twelve ounces looked like a TON of spinach, but it cooked down a lot. I prepped all the ingredients before hand to allow for quicker cooking. Make sure you wait for the skillet to cool slightly before adding the garlic and onions to avoid burning. Overall, this was a great meal that I’m sure I’ll make again. I enjoyed cooking with some other seafood besides shrimp.

Adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients
2 center-cut bacon slices
1 1/2 lbs sea scallops
1/4 tsp plus 1/8 tsp kosher salt, divided
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 cup chopped onion
6 garlic cloves, sliced
12 oz. fresh baby spinach

Directions
1. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving drippings in pan; coarsely chop and set bacon aside.

2. Increase heat to high. Pat scallops dry with paper towels. Sprinkle scallops evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Add scallops to drippings in pan; cook 2 1/2 minutes on each side or until done. Transfer to a plate; keep warm.

3. Reduce heat to medium-high. Add onion and garlic to pan; sauté 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add half of spinach; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add remaining half of spinach; cook 2 minutes or just until wilted, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

4. Divide spinach mixture among 4 plates; top each serving evenly with crumbled bacon and scallops. Serve immediately.

The Facts
4 Servings