Three Pans But Worth It

I have a rule against having all burners going at once. It's not a safety thing; I just don't like doing dishes that much. But last night I made scallops with orzo and tomatoes, which required two nonstick skillets and a saucepan, and it was definitely worth it (maybe because I made Todd do the dishes?). The tomato sauce sounded really weird, with ginger, lemongrass and basil, but it came together much better than you would think. And I love, love, love the sweetness, the softness, the crisp browned exterior of seared scallops.

Boiled a cup of orzo for until it was done, a bit more than five minutes. While that was working, I sauteed about an inch of minced ginger and a minced stalk of lemongrass for about 2 minutes. (I think I used parts of the lemongrass I shouldn't; it was really hard to tell. I peeled back about half the layers, cut off the top 2/3, then minced the rest. I think the tough part I ended up with was at the very bottom, though.) Added 2 big chopped tomatoes and cooked for another minute, then tossed in a couple tablespoons sliced basil leaves.

Heated oil in another nonstick pan, then seared the scallops for 2 minutes on the first side (salting and peppering the tops), then 1 minute on the other side.