Pan-Seared Scallops with Pasta Recipe
We haven’t talked much about scallops on this blog, so we thought it was time to do a scallop recipe.
Scallops are a shellfish consisting of two fan-shaped shells, and they are absolutely delicious! Scallops prefer the sandy bottoms of the ocean, but sometimes attach themselves to rocks. The round fleshy part of the scallop (the part that we eat) is actually the adductor muscle of the scallop.
You can prepare scallops in a variety of different ways, including:
- grilled
- fried
- broiled
Scallops have a sweet taste and rich flavor. At Cameron’s Seafood, we sell crab cake stuffed scallops and whole sea scallops.
The great thing about scallops being so inherently tasty is that you don’t need too many ingredients to cook an exquisite scallops recipe. Some flavors that go really well with scallops are garlic, lemon, and white wine (just to name a few).
We had trouble picking a scallop recipe to share with you today, as we have so many favorites! We finally settled on this recipe that features just one of the many ways that we like to cook scallops. This Lemon and Garlic Pasta with Pan-Seared Scallops recipe, which we found on the Healthy Eating website, is nothing short of delightful.
We love this easy pan-seared scallops with pasta recipe because it is fairly healthy and the lightness of the ingredients allows for the succulent and sweet scallop flavor to be the star of the dish.
Pan-Seared Scallops with Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb Cameron’s Sea Scallops
- 1 large lemon zested and juiced
- 2-3 cloves of garlic minced
- 2 tbsp of olive oil divided into 2 equal portions of 1each
- tsp ¼salt
- tsp ¼black pepper
- pinch of chili pepper flakes
- 8 oz of thin pasta we used angel hair pasta
- 2 tbsp shredded parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a 4-quart pot, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to keep the water at a simmer until you are ready to cook your pasta.
- While the water is heating up, combine your lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, 1 tbsp of the olive oil, and the chili flakes in a small pot. Set the pot over low heat and let it hang out there while you are cooking the pasta and scallops. The low heat will allow the flavors to combine well without bringing the olive oil past its smoking point.
- Heat a large, non-stick pan or grill pan over high heat until it's very hot. Carefully toss your scallops in the salt, pepper, and 1 tbsp of olive oil. Place the scallops in the hot pan and cook them for about 4 minutes on each side; you want the scallops to be firm and well browned on the outside with a milky white center.
- As soon as you've flipped the scallops, pop your pasta into the water and cook to al dente according to package directions. (Did you know? The longer the cook time for pasta, the higher the gluten content! Gluten forms in the presence of water, so longer cooking = more water for gluten to form in.)
- When the pasta is done cooking, reserve ½ cup of the cooking water and drain the liquid. The reserved cooking water will help the sauce stick to the pasta.
Return the pasta to the pot and toss with the oil mixture you had warming over low heat and the reserved pasta water. Divide the pasta among four plates and top with the seared sea scallops. Garnish each plate with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese and you are ready to eat your pan-seared scallop with pasta recipe! A piece of crusty sourdough bread or a light salad would be the perfect accompaniment to this meal.
Buy Fresh Seafood Online
Don’t forget to check out our online store for your sea scallop and other seafood needs! You can buy fresh seafood online and have our products shipped straight to your front door within 48 hours in the United States.
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By: Melanie Craighead
