Combine cream cheese or mascarpone cheese with 1/2 the minced pecans and all the Medjool dates (add rosemary as well). Mix well and form into a ball. Roll in remaining pecans and chill well. Garnish with mint/cherry and serve with favorite crackers or carrot/celery sticks.
In a 5-to-6-quart saucepan over high heat, bring about 4 quarts of water to a boil. Add penne and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender to bite, about 10 to 12 minutes, drain. Meanwhile, in a 10-to-12-inch frying pan over medium heat, stir onion and garlic in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil until limp, 3 to 5 minutes. Add lemon peel, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and scallops to the pan with the onion and the garlic. Bring to a simmer and cook until scallops are opaque, but still moist-looking in the center, about 6 minutes. Add pasta and basil to the scallop mixture and stir until heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour into wide, shallow pasta bowl to serve. Makes 4 servings.