Scallops & Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

One of my favorite brands of roasted red peppers comes in a giant-sized jar from Costco. When the jar is first opened the peppers are deliciously firm, but over time they begin to soften. Instead of throwing them away, my frugal self is motivated to find a recipe for roasted red pepper sauce. Scallops from the freezer and angel hair pasta in the pantry seem like a good combination.

Ingredients for Red Pepper Sauce

• 1 cup roasted red peppers
• Half-cup of whipped cream cheese (or softened regular cream cheese)
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Half teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• Quarter cup chicken stock (optional)

Mix all of the ingredients except the chicken stock in a food processor. If the consistency is too thick, add small amounts of chicken stock until desired texture is reached.

Cook pasta, reserve a cup of the starchy cooking water, and drain.

I cut very large scallops in half, seasoned with Old Bay, and seared them in olive oil for a few minutes.

Remove the scallops, splash some sherry in the pan, and scrape up any brown bits to mix with the sherry. With the heat on low, add the cooked pasta to the pan. If the pasta is clumping, add some of the reserved starchy water. Pour the roasted red pepper sauce over the pasta and mix thoroughly. In the final minute, add the scallops to the pan to re-heat.