An easy mixture of pesto, lemon, and garlic does double duty as a grilling mop for super-quick grilled scallop skewers and a delicious no-cook sauce for this spaghetti, spinach, and fresh tomato side dish.
Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Using a side burner or on a stove, in a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook spaghetti according to package directions until al dente; drain, reserving ½ cup of the pasta water. Return pasta to pot.
Meanwhile, zest lemon to make ½ tsp (2 mL); cut in half and squeeze out juice to make 3 tbsp. In a small bowl, mix pesto with lemon zest, juice and garlic. Set ¼ of the mixture aside in a small bowl for scallops.
Skewer scallops onto 4 soaked wooden or metal skewers; brush both sides with reserved pesto mixture. Place on hot, greased grill; cook, turning once, until grill-marked, firm and opaque, about 2 minutes per side.
Add remaining pesto mixture to pasta and enough of the pasta cooking liquid to coat pasta evenly. Add spinach, tomatoes and olives (if using); toss lightly. Serve scallops over spaghetti mixture.
