Seared Cape bay scallops sit atop flour tortillas with roasted butternut squash, crispy kale, queso fresco, bacon and fresh parsley. These tacos are fall-inspired with the perfect combination of savory, saltiness and sweet.
1butternut squashpeeled, cubed (or use pre-cubed squash)
10ouncebag chopped kaletoughs stems removed
3tablespoonsextra virgin olive oildivided
4stripsbaconcooked and crumbled
1teaspoonbutter
1/2poundbay scallops fresh, rinsed and dried, side muscle removed
kosher salt
ground black pepper
Flour tortillaswarmed
2-3ouncesqueso fresco cheesecrumbled
1tablespoonfresh parsleyroughly chopped
For serving
Lemon wedges
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with tinfoil. Toss butternut squash with 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, salt and black pepper and place onto baking sheets.
Roast squash for 40-45 minutes, or until lightly browned and caramelized, flipping halfway through cooking time. Place butternut squash in a bowl and set aside.
Place the chopped kale onto the foiled-lined baking sheets (the same ones you used to roast the squash). Drizzle with 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in the oven and roast for 10 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking time.
Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil and butter in a medium non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Pat scallops dry and season with salt and pepper. Add scallops to the hot pan and reduce heat to medium. Sauté about 1 minute until a nice sear forms, then flip and sauté until desired doneness (we like ours with just a brief sear). Don't crowd the scallops, as you don’t want to steam them. Cook in batches, if needed.
Assemble tacos by adding kale and butternut squash to warmed flour tortillas. Top with a few bay scallops, queso fresco, bacon and parsley.