This is the kind of dish that whispers sweet nothings to your soul and makes you wonder why you ever bothered with anything else in your life. Seriously, it's like a love letter to your taste buds, written in the ink of garlic and butter.

Now, you're probably thinking, "A seafood pasta that doesn't require me to sell a kidney to afford the ingredients? Sign me up!" And you'd be right to think that. You'll need scallops (the ocean's candy, if you will), broccoli (because pretending to be healthy is fun), spaghetti, a half stick of butter (because, why not?), an assortment of garlic in various forms (because one type of garlic is never enough), dried basil, a splash of dry white wine (for the sauce, not for chugging, unfortunately), red pepper flakes, the juice of half a lemon, and a sprinkle of grated Parmesan. It's like the Avengers of ingredients, each bringing its own superpower to the dish.

Here’s how I made it: I got my pan nice and hot, threw in the olive oil, butter, and a small mountain of minced garlic to get the party started. In went the scallops and broccoli, followed by a ceremonial sprinkle of garlic salt, basil, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, and a generous squeeze of lemon. I let that sizzle for about 5-7 minutes on medium-high heat, just enough time to pretend I was on a cooking show and give a dramatic monologue to my imaginary audience. Then, it was time to turn the heat down to a simmer, boil some water for the spaghetti, and wonder why I don't make dishes like this more often. The pasta joined the party, bringing along a little pasta water to keep things interesting. A final flourish of basil, garlic powder, salt, and red pepper flakes, and it was almost time to eat. A handful of grated Parmesan later, and voilà! A dish so good, it almost made me forget about the mountain of dishes waiting for me in the sink. Almost.