Hearts of Palm Scallops with Spinach Pasta
Let’s talk about how good this Hearts of Palm Scallop recipe is. I’m telling you- My friend Marlo sent me a quick message the other day suggesting that I try “Vegan Scallops” made out of Hearts of Palm. I was very much on board with this because I am obbbsessed with hearts of palm, and she was right. The texture was perfect, the size was like a small scallop- bite size and delish, and the seafood seasoning flavors infused into the HoP brine and was oh so perfect. So naturally, like any good Sicilian, I thought it would be best atop a bed of linguine fini, with pine nuts and spinach.
Simple 15 minute dish that is easy to make, and delish served with a little pasta, drizzled with your favorite Olive Oil, fresh cracked black pepper, spinach and pine nuts.
What you’ll need:
1 Can Hearts of Palm in Brine
1/4 cup olive oil
Pine Nuts
Bunch of fresh Spinach
*Optional: Treeline French-Style Herb Garlic Vegan Cheese
Directions:
Bring a pot of water to a boil for your pasta. Once it comes to a boil, season your water generously with salt and add pasta. This shouldn’t take more than 10-12 minutes for dried pasta, depending on the cut.
While that is heating up, pat dry your hearts of palm and cut into 1 inch pieces to mimic the look of a scallop. Pat dry one more time on both sides and season the top and bottom with Maceo Seafood Seasoning.
In a sauté pan, bring olive oil to medium heat. When oil starts to glisten, place hearts of palm in the pan one at a time flat side down. Space them out with about 1/2-1in. spacing between each.
Cook on each side for about two minutes, until they get nice and browned. (Watch for the browning to creep up the side, that’s when you can flip).
Remove and place on a paper towel to drain off any excess oil and set aside.
Once pasta is al dente, transfer to sauté pan straight from the water. add fresh spinach directly to hot pasta and toss until it wilts. Plate with a sprinkle of pine nuts and black pepper and then top with scallops.
**If you want to add a creaminess to this dish, I would suggest trying Treeline Herb Garlic French-Style Vegan Cheese and mix in when you add the pasta, before the spinach. I would suggest anywhere from 2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup. Also, adding a little extra pasta water to the cheese will help loosen it up to a creamy sauce consistency.