Sunday dinner shouldn’t be difficult, but it should be delicious! And as our days get colder, foods that comfort are at the top of my wish list. This Make & Bake Sunday Dinner ticks all the right boxes!
Today’s post is in partnership with Martha Stewart Living, Barilla® Collezione and Reynolds Kitchens™. As always, all opinions are 100% my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that help make Ciao Chow Bambina possible.
A bouquet of bucatini? For moi? Is there anything prettier? More comforting? More pleasing?
The person who presents another with a bouquet of Barilla® Collezione pasta surely knows what they’re doing.
Barilla® Collezione, a line of artisanal pasta, is crafted using traditional bronze plates for a homemade ‘al dente’ texture that holds onto sauce like a mama holds onto her baby. And this bucatini, with its thick hollow center and gratifying flavor, pairs beautifully with a light buttery sauce designed to complement its taste.
Bucatini with Toasted Breadcrumbs and Seared Scallops makes for a Sunday dinner that will have everyone running to the table. Pasta cooked to the perfect texture, and not a minute more, enveloped in toasted breadcrumbs enhanced with sautéed garlic and red pepper flakes, mixed with salty Parmesan, baby sweet peas, and topped with a tender seared scallop…. Yep, it’s what’s for Sunday dinner.
The few steps that it takes to pull this dish together are well worth the effort. And not only are we rewarded with a pasta dish that all but screams ‘home’, we’re throwing a dessert into the mix that’s as simple to make as you’ll be proud to serve.
I am all about making life easy. And in keeping with my life-made-easy mantra, I’m thrilled to share the product that made the making of dessert simple and quick.
Reynolds Kitchens™ Parchment Paper with Smartgrid® makes clean up fast and prep work easy.
Even my shaky little hands can cut a straight, perfectly sized sheet every time.
I had the idea to make these Chocolate Pignoli Cookies because A) pignoli cookies are one of my favorites, B) they’re in keeping with our Italian meal, and C) who doesn’t love a little taste of chocolate at the end of their meal?
These sweets have the texture of a meringue cookie with the benefit of creamy tasting pignolis and milk chocolate, though you could easily exchange the milk for bittersweet.
With only five ingredients, they’re easy to make yet so full of flavor.
I used a half tablespoon scoop to create tiny bites, but you could use a full tablespoon for larger cookies.
I think I read somewhere that the smaller the cookie the more you can eat… 😉
So here it is, my friends…. Make & Bake Sunday Dinner.
Perfect for today, or to keep in mind for future Sundays when company’s over for the holidays.
Buon Appetito!
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Bucatini with Toasted Breadcrumbs & Seared Scallops
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Entree
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
Sunday dinner shouldn’t be difficult, but it should be delicious! And as our days get colder, foods that comfort are at the top of my wish list. This Make & Bake Sunday Dinner ticks all the right boxes!
Ingredients
- 12 oz. Barilla® Collezione Bucatini
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
- 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 6 – 12 scallops
- Salt and cracked black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 10 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into cubes, divided
- 1 cup baby sweet peas
- Juice from 1 lemon
Instructions
- Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water until al dente.
- While pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.
- Add garlic and cook until it just begins to brown, about 1 minute.
- Add bread crumbs and red pepper flakes. While stirring, cook for a minute until crumbs begin to toast. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a separate skillet, melt 2 Tbsp. butter. Add scallops and cook for about 2 minutes until opaque and caramelized on both sides. Remove from heat and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook peas in boiling, salted water until just tender, about 2 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Drain pasta and add back to hot pan.
- Toss well with the 8 Tbsp. butter, seasoned bread crumbs, and Parmesan.
- Gently stir in peas.
- Serve immediately and top with a scallop or two.
- Squeeze lemon over top.
Chocolate Pignoli Cookies
- Yield: 48 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
Sunday dinner shouldn’t be difficult, but it should be delicious! And as our days get colder, foods that comfort are at the top of my wish list. This Make & Bake Sunday Dinner ticks all the right boxes!
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large egg whites
- 11.5 oz. milk chocolate pieces, melted
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 cups pine nuts
Instructions
- In a medium bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the sugar and egg whites.
- Using a bain-marie, or double boiler, melt chocolate. Gently melt the pieces in a heatproof bowl over simmering, not boiling, water.
- Remove from heat and let cool.
- Once chocolate is completely cooled, add to sugar mixture.
- Whip the batter until smooth and fully combined.
- Place batter in the refrigerator for at least an hour, or over night, allowing the batter to firm up.
- When ready, preheat oven to 350 F.
- Prepare two cookie sheets with Reynolds Kitchens™ Parchment Paper with Smartgrid®.
- Place pignoli in a bowl.
- When batter is firm enough, scoop 1/2 Tbsp. measures. You’ll need a second spoon to slip the batter out of the measuring spoon and roll in the pignoli.
- Rest cookies on prepared cookie sheets about an inch apart.
- Bake for 13 minutes, rotating the two pans from the upper and lower thirds of the oven, half way through baking.
- Remove from oven and cool completely.
- Serve.
Forgot to pin? Here you go!
That pasta is absolutley everything I am craving right now! I want a plate of it right now to warm me up!
Also I love these cookies. They are too cute and so simple! Beautiful recipes as always my friend!!
Awh! Wish I could make you up a plate! Thank you so much, my dear! Hope all is well!! 🙂
Looks like a dreamy Sunday dinner to me, Annie! Bucatini is my favorite pasta on the planet and those pignoli cookies are absolute perfection.
Bucatini is one special pasta! 🙂 I love it, too! Thanks, friend!
This dinner recipe seems so finger-licking, Annie. It is my kind of dinner, especially for a colder weather. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
So happy you like it, Agnes! Thank you, my friend!
What a comforting and warming dinner this is Annie. I love how beautiful the pasta tossed with the breadcrumbs and topped with scallops look and those Chocolate pignoli cookies sound like an absolutely divine way to end the meal.
Gosh, you make pasta dishes look so amazing Annie 🙂
Thank you, Ashika! I appreciate your kind words! 🙂
Haha, note to my fiance: give me a bouquet of pasta 😉
Also, agree. Chocolate at the end of the meal is non-negotiable for me!
Heheheh! Oh yes – chocolate = non-negotiable! Thanks, Cathleen!
I want to come to Sunday dinner at your house! It looks so wonderfully beautiful, homey and delicious!
Come on over!! Thanks, friend!
Two recipes in one post FTW! That pasta “holds on to sauce” – I love it! No doubt a meal worthy of just a bit of time in the kitchen… I love the peas, Annie! I’ll keep my eye out for that collezione pasta… Delicious work for a fabulous, easy Sunday dinner ! Wishing you and your’s a fabulous Thanksgiving my dear xo
You’ll love the brand! So hearty and delicious! Thanks for your sweet words, dear! Have a wonderful holiday, my friend! XO
Now this is what weekend dinners should look like!! Especially now that the weather is cold! I have a moderate to severe obsession with scallops.. like, I eat them either Saturday or Sunday every single weekend. I’m a creature of habit. So this pasta is screaming my name! And, I just so happen to have a box ofBarilla buccatini in my pantry too! Clearly this dinner is my destiny! Cheers, doll! xoxo
Yaaaas, this post was meant to be! You’ll be eating your Sunday Make & Bake Dinner in no time! 🙂 Cheers, doll! xoxo
This pasta with bread crumbs and scallops sounds incredible! This would be the perfect dish to serve for friends over the holidays! It comes together quickly but totally looks impressive. My kind of meal! Happy Monday Annie!
I believe your friends would never want to leave! 😉 Thank you, Leanne!
Mmm now this is my kind of meal! Scallops are my favorite type of seafood, but I’ve never made it before! I definitely have to after seeing this deliciousness. And yay for chocolate cookies! Love the simple ingredients in those. This is definitely my version of perfect Sunday comfort food!
The steps to this meal are so simple and quick! My kind of Sunday dinner! Thanks, friend!
Yummy! This would be my kind of Sunday dinner 😉 ! The bucatini look so appetizing, love the touch of breadcrumbs, and the pignoli cookies just the perfect end to the meal. Another great job, Annie!
Thank you, Nicoletta! Don’t you just love toasty breadcrumbs? 🙂
I love this complete delicious dinner! That pasta looks fabulous and a big yes please for those chocolate cookies 🙂
I will happily share! Thanks, Jennifer!
YES! Two recipes in one! How perfect is that? And a bouquet of pasta? That is just the BEST! That’s the kind of bouquet I want too 😉 It may be Monday, but this would go over so well today…Monday always needs a little comfort food! Happy Monday and have a lovely Thanksgiving! XOXO
Oh yes – this’ll work any day of the week! Can never go wrong with comfort food! Thanks, my dear! XOXO
What a winner of a Sunday dinner Annie! It definitely ticks all the boxes. I love those scallops on top. And I totally agree, the smaller the cookie the more we get to enjoy! Thanks for sharing such great products and recipes!
Hahaha! It’s so nice when my like-minded cookie friends stop by and share in my sentiments! 😉 Thank you, MaryAnn!
What a perfect little Sunday dinner – it’s like I stepped into an Italian restaurant 🙂 I love that seared scallop on top of the pasta! Mmm! Sunday perfection!
The flavors all fall together so nicely! Thanks, dear!
I want to come to dinner at your house! Pasta and a handful of little chocolate-y cookies is my kind of meal ;). Hope you had a great weekend, Annie!
The ideal Sunday dinner! Come over!! Thanks, friend! 🙂
I love that simple bucatini with breadcrumbs and scallops! But those Pignoli cookies are just out of the world! Can I come over for dinner!!
Would love it! We’ll set you a plate, my friend! 🙂
Delicious Sunday night option, Annie! Bucatini is so much fun to eat and I am very impressed by the pignoli cookies – will try out your recipe for sure!
Pignoli cookies are too easy not to make! They’re a favorite around here! Let’s hear it for Bucatini! 🙂
Hello, Annie.
That Bucatini with Toasted Breadcrumbs and Seared Scallops looks so tasty!! I love pasta and shrimp. Two of my favorite foods in the same dish. This is a combo made in heaven! And this Chocolate Pignoli Cookies is perfect for deserts. I bet my family will love this pastry.
Thank you, Eliza!! 🙂
All I know Is that I’m inviting myself over for dinner. Sounds delicious!! And we are huge fans of the collezione pasta. And my heavens we go through parchment paper paper like fiends. With all the baking we do we are never without. Buona Domenica!
I’ll set an extra plate, my friend! That pasta is phenomenal! Thanks, my dear! Happy Sunday!