George Chiala Farms - George's Recipe of the Month.

George has had a love of all things culinary from a very young age, and throughout his career, has worked with renowned chefs and food technologists. He discovered his passion for cooking at the age of five after spending time in his grandmother's restaurant. From then on, under his mother's guidance (who is a talented cook of her own accord) George recalls cooking anything his mother would let him, starting out with scrambled eggs and hamburgers and quickly moving on to fine Italian and French dishes.

After many years of honing and perfecting his culinary craft, George still enjoys what he humbly considers: "complimenting my family culinary experience," by taking courses in regional cuisines pertaining to the vegetable ingredient products his family specializes in, namely: Asian, French, Mediterranean, Mexican and Tex Mex.

Because of George's extensive knowledge and passion for food, he is a great resource to customers in helping them find the right ingredients for their recipe needs. "I need to understand what's happening in the kitchen," he explained. "If my client has an unfavorable flavor note, I need to be able to assess the situation to understand why." That extra level of service and care undoubtedly stems from his love of food and his work alike, which fortunately for George, go hand and hand.

250g bucatini
1/4 cup lemon juice (fresh squeezed)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese, plus extra to garnish
3 tablespoons butter (separated into 2 and 1
tablespoon portions)
300 g small bay scallops
1 small bunch asparagus
1/4 cup white wine
1 tablespoon Italian parsley, finely chopped
black pepper for garnish
lemon zest for garnish

1 - Set the scallops on a plate and allow them to come to room temperature. Make sure to retain any of the liquid from the scallops that settles on the plate.

2 - Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the bucatini and cook until al dente. Drain and set aside.

3 - Whisk the lemon juice and olive oil together in a bowl. Add the bucatini back to a large pot, then add the lemon juice, olive oil, grated parmigiano-reggiano, and 1 tablesppon of butter. Stir to combine, making sure that the cheese melts from the heat of the pasta. Cover and set aside.

4 - Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat for about 1 minute. The pan should be large enough to hold all of the scallops without crowding. Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan and swirl around to let it melt and begin browning. Add the scallops carefully, making sure to give each one some space. Reduce the heat a little bit and sear until well- browned, then turn carefully and sear the other side. Cook the scallops until the center is still somewhat translucent, then remove from the pan and set aside.

5 - Add the asparagus, white wine, and any leftover liquid from the scallops to the pan. Saute and cover until the asparagus is soft but still vibrant green, about 10 minutes.

6 - Add the contents of the pan to the bucatini and carefully combine. Garnish with chopped parsley, black pepper, lemon zest, and extra parmigiano-reggiano. Top each dish off with an individual portion of scallops and serve immediately.