Lemon orzo pasta with scallops

Ingredients:

• 1 cup orzo pasta
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 450 g medium scallops, legs removed
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 0.5 cups dry white wine
• 1-2 tbsp capers, drained
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 2 cups arugula
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (or quartered if large)

Preparation:

1. Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the orzo pasta and cook according to package directions. Set aside 1/4 cup of the cooking water and discard the rest. Transfer the pasta to a large bowl and add 2 tablespoons of butter, the lemon zest, half the lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons of the reserved pasta cooking water. Season with salt and pepper to taste; toss to combine, adding more cooking water if necessary if the sauce is too thick. Cover to keep warm.
2. Pat the scallops dry and season with salt and black pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the scallops and cook until browned on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook until cooked through, 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a plate; cover to keep warm.
3. Add the garlic to the pan. Cook, stirring, until golden, about 10 seconds. Pour in the wine, 1/4 cup water, and the remaining lemon juice. Cook until the liquid has reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the capers and the remaining 3 tablespoons butter; swirl the pan to melt the butter. Stir in the parsley.
4. Combine orzo pasta with arugula and tomatoes. Serve with scallops and pan sauce.