Scallops with Pea Purée and Pancetta

I decided I wanted to make a scallops recipe, so I found this one in my New York Times cookbook. I was a  little iffy about the "pea purée" part, so I googled similar recipes online. I read some good reviews, so I forged ahead. I noticed that other recipes had bacon or ham, so I added pancetta to the recipe.

Side note: this is my favorite photo I've taken of my cooking thus far (it's the background of the site!).  I got a digital SLR camera at the beginning of fall, and now I try to take pretty pictures of all my dishes.

Ingredients...

• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 1 6-inch sprig fresh rosemary
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 4 cups frozen peas
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 6 to 8 large sea scallops, each one halved to make two slim disks
• 3-4 slices pancetta

Directions...

1. In a small saucepan, combine the garlic, rosemary and oil. Place over medium-low heat until the oil starts to bubble. Turn off the heat and leave the mixture to infuse.
2. Place peas in a large pan of lightly salted water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until peas are tender but still bright green, cooked slightly longer than usual. Drain, and transfer to a food processor. Add 1/4 cup of the infused oil (discard garlic and rosemary). Process until puréed, then return to the pan, cover, and keep warm.
3. In separate saucepan, cook pancetta on greased pan (I used olive oil spray) to desired crispness. After cooking, set aside on paper towels. Break into pieces.
4. Season the cornstarch with salt and pepper to taste. Place a heavy skillet over medium heat and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the remaining oil. When the oil is hot, lightly dust the scallop halves with seasoned cornstarch, and add to the pan. Cook until browned, about 2 minutes each side.
5. To serve, divide pea purée between two plates and add scallops and pancetta. Serve immediately.

My Thoughts...
I was happy with the result. The scallops were very easy to cook. I definitely recommend keeping the pancetta. The dish was much more flavorful with this extra ingredient. If you want to try this recipe, you must like peas!