Cast – Iron Seared Scallops Recipe

In a small saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the minced shallot and cook until translucent, about 2–3 minutes, taking care not to brown.

Add the rinsed cannellini beans, fresh thyme, and ¾ cup stock. Bring to a gentle simmer for 3–4 minutes to warm and soften flavors.

Remove from heat. Transfer the contents to a blender or use an immersion blender and puree until very smooth, adding up to 2–3 tablespoons additional stock if needed to reach a silky cream consistency.

Season the purée with 1 tablespoon lemon juice, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning. Keep warm over the lowest heat or rewarm gently before serving.

Place well-drained ricotta in a bowl and whisk lightly with the egg yolk, pecorino, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper until mostly smooth.

Add the all-purpose and buckwheat flours to the ricotta mixture. Stir until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. If the dough seems too wet, add up to 1 tablespoon more all-purpose flour. Do not overwork.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 4 pieces. Roll each into a long rope about ¾ inch (2 cm) in diameter. Cut ropes into ¾–1 inch pieces to form gnocchetti. Lightly dust with semolina or extra flour so they don't stick.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle boil. Cook gnocchetti in batches: drop 10–15 pieces into boiling water, stirring gently so they don’t stick. They will cook quickly—when they float and are tender, about 2–3 minutes, remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl and toss lightly with a little olive oil or a pat of butter to prevent sticking.

If using sausage in casings, remove the meat from casings. In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and the sausage. Break it up and brown until cooked through and caramelized in places, about 6–8 minutes. Transfer sausage to a plate and reserve skillet.

In the same skillet over medium heat add 1 tablespoon olive oil if needed. Add the sliced garlic and red pepper flakes; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the chopped mustard greens and ¼ teaspoon salt. Sauté until wilted but still bright, 2–3 minutes. Return the cooked sausage to the pan, toss to combine and keep warm. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Pat scallops very dry with paper towels. Season both sides with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes.

Heat a 10–12 inch cast-iron skillet over high heat until smoking hot. Add 1 tablespoon neutral oil and swirl to coat.

Carefully add scallops to the pan spaced apart (work in two batches if needed). Sear without moving for 1.5–2 minutes until a deep golden-brown crust forms. Flip scallops and add 2 tablespoons butter to the pan.

Tilt the pan slightly and spoon the melted butter over the scallops for 30–45 seconds more until just cooked through (opaque center) — total cook time ~3–3.5 minutes. Remove scallops to a warm plate and tent loosely with foil.

Warm the white bean cream sauce gently if needed. Spoon a generous smear of the sauce onto each serving plate (about 2–3 tablespoons per plate).

Divide the buckwheat gnocchetti among plates, placing them on top of the bean cream so they pick up some sauce.

Nestle a portion of the sausage-and-mustard-green mixture alongside the gnocchetti (about 2–3 tablespoons sausage mixture per plate).

Place 3 seared scallops on each plate atop the gnocchetti. Spoon any browned butter from the scallop pan over the scallops and gnocchetti (strain if desired).

Finish each plate with a sprinkle of 1 tablespoon grated pecorino, a pinch of lemon zest, and a scattering of chopped parsley and microgreens if using.

Serve immediately while scallops are hot and gnocchetti are tender.