Almost Classic Pesto

My last post was in April when I collected wild leeks to make...pesto! Obviously I love pesto, and that is what I wanted to make this evening when I came upon a gorgeous pot of basil. This almost classic pesto has pumpkin seeds and sun dried tomatoes added to the basic ingredients. I served it with seafood and was dismayed to discover later that the orange roughy I purchased is on the "avoid" list on the Seafood Watch app I keep on my phone. This fish is on the list because of the damage done to coral reefs due to bottom trawling. I should have checked first. This app is great when shopping for seafood, and I highly recommend it. A better choice would have been pollock, but you have to be careful of its origin. The app gives all the details.

Here's the meal I prepared:

ON THE CUTTING BOARD:

Basil leaves, parmesan cheese, garlic, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds
sun dried tomatoes, olive oil.

STEP ONE:

Start water for pasta.

Place a bunch of basil leaves in a food processor. Add 1/4 cup grated
parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup pinenuts, a handful of pumpkin seeds, 2
sun dried tomatoes, 3 cloves of smashed garlic and 1/4 cup plus
2 T. olive oil. Add 1/4 tsp. sea salt (you can add more later if needed).
Process until well-combined. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 500 and throw in some small peppers.

STEP TWO:







Heat 1 T. olive oil in a skillet on medium-high heat.  Place the fish
in the skillet and sprinkle with hot paprika. Cook for two minutes,
turn fish over and cover with ground black pepper. Add quartered
tomatoes and three cloves of chopped garlic to pan and cook for
another two minutes. Add a little more olive oil if necessary and
sprinkle with a little sea salt.

STEP THREE:





Pour in 1/4 cup dry white wine and add the shrimp and scallops.
Cook for shellfish for two minutes on each side.



Check the peppers. Make sure they have a nice char. Then turn off
the oven and allow them to keep warm.  Cook pasta.

STEP FOUR:





Add a 1/2 T. of butter to seafood and pesto to taste
to the drained pasta. Mix the pesto into the pasta.

STEP FIVE:





Put pesto on a platter and arrange the seafood on top with the
peppers. Serve with a salad (I used lettuce from my garden).

ALLA VOSTRA SALUTE!