Pan Seared Scallops with Fettuccine in Bacon Fennel Cream Sauce - (Free Recipe below)

Ingredients

• 2 dozen large scallops
• 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 cup seafood or chicken stock
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 6 slices crisp cooked bacon
• 2/3 cup finely chopped fennel (if fresh fennel is not available you can substitute ½ tsp ground fennel seed)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 350 g package fresh cooked fettuccine pasta

Instructions

1. Chop bacon into small pieces and cook until crisp in a large non stick sauté pan.
2. Drain fat and discard.Set the bacon aside.
3. Add the garlic and fennel to the pan and sauté until the fennel begins to soften; just a couple of minutes.
4. Add the stock and wine and reduce the volume of the liquid to about half before adding the whipping cream.
5. Simmer slowly for a couple of minutes, then add the bacon and season with salt and pepper.
6. Toss the cooked pasta in the prepared sauce.
7. In a separate heavy bottomed sauté pan heat olive oil until very hot on medium high heat. Lightly salt and pepper the scallops and sear them in the hot pan for only about 2 minutes per side. Sear the scallops a few at a time and don’t crowd the pan.
8. Serve the scallops over the fettuccine and sauce. Garnish with chopped fennel fronds and bacon.