These scallop pasta make for a killer dinner! Impress everyone at the table with this elegant recipe flavored with lemon, garlic and herbs.
Here’s a great dinner recipe that’s elegantly easy to make: Scallop Pasta! Whether you’re impressing guests, hosting a romantic dinner party, or just looking to feed your family on a weekday, this recipe is perfect. Seared scallops are soft, buttery and delicate, layered over tender batters and accented with flavors of lemon, garlic and herbs. When we prepare seafood, we tend to turn to salmon and shrimp: however, scallops are a unique twist that makes this a truly special dinner. More like scallops? Access 12 Easy Scallop Recipes!
What to look out for when buying scallops
Finding the best scallops in the store can be daunting if you’ve never cooked with them. Here are some pointers to consider when buying scallops:
- Giant Scallops: Scallops are large and the sear kind. Avoid scallops: they are very small and are mainly used in stews.
- Wild caught vs. breeding: Wild fish caught in your country is generally a sustainable choice. There are also quality options at well-regulated farms; see Seafood Watch consumer guide.
- Wet Scallops vs. Dry Scallops: Some scallops are treated with water and sodium tripolyphosphate and then frozen, sometimes referred to as “wet scallops.” This can give them a soapy taste and rubbery texture (learn more). However, most packages you find at the grocery store don’t say wet or dry, so this recipe has a trick to refreshing both ways.
- Fresh vs Frozen Scallops: You can use both! See below for instructions on defrosting scallops.
How to thaw frozen scallops
Frozen scallops have great flavor! The only thing is that you have to plan ahead to thaw them out. But if you forget (as we often do), here’s a tip. The best options for defrosting frozen scallops are:
- The day before (best option): Place the frozen scallops in the fridge overnight. Rinse them quickly before using them and remove any remaining pieces of ice.
- Day of (in case of need): Store the frozen scallops in the wrapper or place in a resealable plastic bag. Place the bag pack in a large bowl of cold water. The scallops should defrost in about 30 minutes.
Get the perfect doneness for scallop pasta!
This scallop batter is an easy recipe: the only part that requires a bit of technique is searing the scallops! Once you’ve prepared the noodles, you want a crispy brown finish on both sides of the scallops. If it’s not perfect, that’s okay! Getting them all perfectly brown is a bit tricky, so you may need to practice a few times. Here are our top tips for searing scallops:
- Salt the scallops for 10 minutes, then pat dry. Place them in a bath of room temperature salt water, which refreshes the flavor and helps season the scallop from the inside. Don’t skip this step! It’s also important to pat them dry: any water on the scallops will cause them to steam instead of sear.
- Space the scallops as far apart as possible in the pan. You may need to make 2 batches. Also, if the scallops are affected, you risk steaming them instead of browning them.
- Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, do not stir! Not moving the scallop allows the brown crust to form. This is called the Maillard reactiona chemical reaction that creates that beautifully golden flavor on stir-fried proteins.
- Flip and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. The same applies: do not move! This forms the crust on the other side.
Use pasta noodles
You can use any type of long pasta you like for these scallop pasta. We like to use linguine, which looks nice and has a nice thickness. But of course there are many other possibilities. Here are the types of pasta we recommend:
- Linguine: Our first choice! Use dried linguine or, even better, fresh if you can find it.
- Pieces: It’s like hollow spaghetti! Another favorite… see it in our Shrimp Pasta.
- Spaghetti: Or serve them with one of the most popular pastas ever, spaghetti!
- angel hair: Those skinny stands would work well here and go well with the tender scallops.
- Fettuccine: Fettucine is slightly thicker than linguine and would work well too.
Sides to serve with scallop pasta
These scallop noodles only require 8 ounces of noodles, which is a moderate serving. We therefore recommend serving this dish with some side dishes to make it a healthy and nutritious dinner idea. As it has a bit of Italian elegance, it is also ideal for dinner parties or a romantic dinner. Here are some of our favorite side dishes with scallops, both everyday and fancy:
This scallop pasta recipe is…
pescetarian. For gluten-free pasta, use gluten-free or legume pasta.
The description
These scallop pasta make for a killer dinner! Impress everyone at the table with this elegant recipe flavored with lemon, garlic and herbs.
For the scallops
- 8 ounces Linguine or other long pasta (gluten-free or legume pasta if desired)
- 1 crushed scallops, thawed if frozen
- Kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil
for the sauce
- 4 tablespoons Salted butter
- seasoning of 1 lemon
- 2 Garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (tarragon, thyme, parsley etc.)
- ½ cup milk
- 1 a handful of baby leaves (spinach or kale)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- grated parmesan for garnish (optional)
- Defrost frozen scallops (see above).
- Cook pasta: Boil a pot of well-salted water. Cook the noodles almost al dente. Start tasting a few minutes before the packaging recommends it: you want it to be tender but still a bit firm inside; usually around 7-8 minutes. Drain noodles. (If it’s done before the sauce, return it to the pan with a drizzle of olive oil to keep it from sticking.)
- Salt Scallops (10 minutes): Meanwhile, in a shallow bowl, combine 4 cups of room temperature water and 2 tablespoons of Kosher salt. Place the scallops in the water and wait 10 minutes.
- Sear Scallops: Remove the scallops and pat dry. Season lightly with a few pinches of kosher salt. Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. If using a medium skillet, cook the scallops in two batches. Once the oil is hot, add the scallops and cook, without turning, until a nice brown crust forms on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Turn the scallops with tongs. On the other side, cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, until a crust forms at the bottom and the center of the scallop is almost opaque. Remove the scallops from the pan onto a plate and turn off the heat.
- Prepare sauce: Turn the heat down to low. Add butter and let melt. Add lemon zest, chopped garlic and chopped herbs. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a spatula to loosen the flavor from the browned bits stuck to the pan. Cook until fragrant, 1 minute, adjusting the heat so the garlic sizzles but does not brown.
- Add milk, pasta, kosher salt, and vegetables and reduce heat to medium; cook until the greens have wilted. Return the scallops to the pan and sear for a few seconds until just heated through. Add plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Taste and add additional salt if needed. Serve with a little olive oil and, if desired, grated parmesan.
- Category: main course
- Method: Cook
- Kitchen: American
- Diet: Low fat
Easier Seafood Recipes
Do you like seafood recipes? Here are a few more of our favorite easy dinners:
