Here’s a stunning dinner recipe that’s elegantly easy to whip up: Scallop Pasta! Whether you want to impress dinner guests, have a romantic dinner, or just feed your family on a weeknight: this recipe is the perfect fit. The seared scallops are sweet, buttery and delicate, set atop tender pasta and accented with flavors of lemon, garlic and herbs. Most often when we make seafood we turn to salmon and shrimp: but scallops are a unique twist that make for a truly special dinner. More with scallops? Go to 12 Easy Scallop Recipes!
What you should look for when buying scallops
Finding the best scallops at the store can be daunting if you’ve never cooked with them before. Here are a few notes on what to look for when buying scallops:
Sea scallops: Sea scallops are large and the variety to use when pan searing. Avoid bay scallops: they very small and mainly used in stews.Wild caught vs farmed: Fish that is wild caught in your country is usually a sustainable choice. There are also quality options in 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 called “wet scallops. This can give them a soapy flavor and rubbery texture (read more). However, most packages you find at the grocery don’t indicate wet or dry, so this recipe has a trick for freshening either type. Fresh vs frozen scallops: You can use either! See below for notes on how to defrost scallops.
How to thaw frozen scallops
Frozen scallops have great flavor! The only thing is, you have to think ahead to thaw them. But if you forget to (like we often do), here’s a trick. The best options for how to thaw frozen scallops are:
Day before (best option): Place the frozen scallops in the refrigerator overnight. Give them a quick rinse before using, removing any pieces of leftover ice.Day of (in a pinch): Keep the frozen scallops in the package or place them in a resealable plastic bag. Place the package of bag into a large bowl with cold water. The scallops should thaw in about 30 minutes.
Getting the perfect sear for scallop pasta!
This scallop pasta is an easy recipe: the only part with a little technique is how to sear the scallops! Once you get the pasta going, you’ll need to get a crisp brown sear on each side of the scallops. If it’s not perfect, that’s ok! It’s a little tricky to get them all perfectly brown, so you might have to practice a few times. Here are our top tips on how to sear scallops:
Brine the scallops for 10 minutes, then pat them dry. Place them in a bath of room temperature salt water, which freshens the flavor and helps season the scallop from the inside out. Don’t skip this step! Patting them dry is also important: any water on the scallops will cause them to steam instead of sear.Keep the scallops as far apart as possible in the pan. You may find you need to do 2 batches. If the scallops are touch, you also risk steaming instead of browning.Cook for 2 to 3 minutes: don’t stir! Not moving the scallop allows the brown crust to form. This is called the Maillard reaction, a chemical reaction that creates that beautifully browned flavor on seared proteins.Flip and cook another 2 to 3 minutes. Same deal: don’t stir! This forms the crust on the other side.
The pasta noodles to use
You can use any type of long noodle you like for this scallop pasta. We like to use linguine, which looks lovely and has a nice thickness. But of course, there are lots of other options too. Here are the types of pasta noodles we’d recommend:
Linguine: Our top choice! Use dried or even better, fresh linguine if you can find it. Bucatini: It’s like hollow spaghetti! Another favorite…see it in our Shrimp Pasta.Spaghetti: Or serve with one of the most popular noodles of all, spaghetti!Angel hair: These thin stands would work well here, and pair nicely with the delicate scallops.Fettucine: Fettucine is a little thicker than linguine and would also work well.
Sides to serve with scallop pasta
This scallop pasta calls for only 8 ounces of pasta, which is a moderate serving. So, we recommend serving this dish with a few sides to help make it into a filling healthy dinner idea. Because it’s got a bit of an elegant Italian-style flair, it’s also great for dinner parties or a romantic dinner. Here are some of our favorite side dishes to serve with scallops, both everyday and fancy:
Everyday salads: Try Perfect Spinach Salad, Easy Arugula Salad or Italian Salad.Fancier salads: Opt for Fennel Orange Salad, Citrus Salad, or Arugula Beet Salad.Side vegetables: Try Roasted Asparagus, Lemony Green Beans, Sauteed Green Beans, or Parmesan Broccoli. Bread: Add fresh No Knead Bread or Garlic Toast.
This scallop pasta recipe is…
Pescatarian. For gluten free, use gluten free or legume pasta.
More easy seafood recipes
Love seafood recipes? Here are a few more of our favorite easy dinners: 4.7 from 16 reviews
8 ounces linguine noodles or other long noodles (gluten-free or legume pasta if desired) 1 pound sea scallops, thawed if frozen Kosher salt 2 tablespoons neutral oil
For the sauce
4 tablespoons salted butter Zest of 1 lemon 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (tarragon, thyme, parsley, etc) ½ cup milk 1 handful baby greens (spinach or kale) ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste Fresh ground black pepper Grated Parmesan cheese, for the garnish (optional)
Make up another batch of noodles with Creamy Shrimp Pasta or Shrimp Pesto PastaBake up impressive Baked Tilapia with LemonPan fry some crispy Blackened Salmon or Miso SalmonFire up the broiler for Quick Broiled Salmon with lemon caper sauceTry Pan Seared Scallops with lemon herb sauce
