Scallop & Artichoke Provencal

This could possibly be the easiest and tastiest recipe I have ever made. The inspiration for this recipe came from Ina Garten's Scallops Provencal which is served with an herb basmati rice. I decided to spruce it up and add artichokes to it and serve it with just about the best kind of pasta in the world...Pappardelle. Pappardelle is a wide very large broad fettuccine. The name derives from the verb "parppare" which means "to gobble up". That is exactly what we did and there were no left overs to spare.

Ingredients

1 pound fresh bay or sea scallops
kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

all purpose flour, for dredging

1 stick of unsalted butter (divided up by tablespoon's)

1/2 cup diced shallots (2 large)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup shopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

1/3 cup dry white wine

1 lemon, cut in half

1 lb pappardelle pasta

1 cup marinated artichokes (rinsed and drained)

Sprinkle scallops with salt & pepper, toss with flour, and shake off the excess.

In a large pot boil pasta in salted water. (about 8 minutes)

In a very large saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the butter over high heat until sizzling and add the scallops in 1 layer. Lower the heat to medium and all the scallops to brown lightly on 1 side without moving them, then turn and brown lightly on the other side. (3-4 minutes) Melt the rest of the butter in the pan with scallops, then add the shallots, garlic, and parsley and saute for 2 more minutes, tossing the seasoning with the scallops. Add the artichokes & wine and cook until the sauce is thick. Add the pappardelle to the pan and coat the pasta with the sauce. Serve hot with a squeeze of lemon juice.

Bon Appetit!