Summertime cooking is my favorite. There are so many fun ways to be creative in the kitchen and having local produce available makes for the most fresh and flavorful dishes. One of my favorite meals I’ve ever made is lemon garlic seared scallop pasta. This recipe was inspired from a craving I was having for seafood, lemon, garlic and pasta.
If I’m being honest, this was actually my first time ever cooking scallops and I really didn’t know what kind of flavor or texture to expect. I was pleasantly surprised by my first bite and would describe scallops as buttery little morsels that remind me of fresh crab legs. Seared scallops pair beautifully with the buttery lemon, garlic, white wine sauce and are plenty filling with the linguine pasta.
lemon garlic sauce
This sauce is too good to skip. It’s the ideal combination of butter, heavy whipping cream, fresh lemon, white wine and plenty of garlic. I like to purchase grass-fed butter in bulk because it will give you the highest quality nutrition and best flavor. Plus your body needs fat to properly absorb nutrients so let that be reason enough to nourish yourself with a decadent sauce every now and then!
pasta
I enjoy using organic linguine pasta for this lemon garlic seared scallop pasta dish. Any size of pasta will do, just be sure to let the water come to full boil and don’t forget to add sea salt!
seared scallops
Scallops are delicate little creatures. I enjoy purchasing them locally at a fish market that is just a 10 minute bike ride away. You can purchase scallops fresh or frozen, but I prefer buying them fresh if possible. Be sure to heat your skillet to a medium heat and always use a high smoke point fat such as avocado oil or ghee. I also place my scallops on paper towel and dab them to remove any extra moisture and season with sea salt. Scallops cook quickly so be sure you have all of your attention on them while searing so you don’t overcook!
TIPS FOR HOW TO MAKE LEMON GARLIC SEARED SCALLOP PASTA IN 35 MINUTES
There’s a rhythm to cooking meals efficiently. To still be able to enjoy the cooking experience, but also to not have it linger on for hours, I always start with what will take the longest to cook first. For this dish, I start with cooking the pasta and tackle the sauce while the pasta is boiling.
In-between whisking the sauce, I get the tomatoes in the oven. Lastly, I seared the scallops because you want to toss those in last with your pasta dish.
This is a large batch recipe and I suggest NOT tossing all of the pasta and sauce together. Simply toss your sauce with as much pasta you are eating. This is the same for the amount of scallops you are eating. Only sear the amount of scallops you will be eating. I hope you love this recipe as much as I do. Happy cooking!
lemon garlic seared scallop pasta
- Total Time: 35 minutes
Description
The summer dinner of comfort. Fresh, seared scallops, roasted cherry tomatoes, linguine pasta all tossed in a lemon garlic buttery sauce.
Ingredients
SAUCE
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 stick grass-fed butter (8 tablespoons)
1 lemon, freshly squeezed
1/2 cup white wine (I used Chardonnay)
3 tablespoons organic heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
fresh ground pepper
ROASTED TOMATOES
2 cups cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
PASTA
1 16oz box linguine pasta
SCALLOPS
12–14 fresh scallops
sea salt
3–4 tablespoons avocado oil or ghee (for searing)
Instructions
PASTA
1. Fill a large stock pot with 5 quarts of water and bring to a boil.
2. Add 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and pasta.
3. Cook on medium-high for 8-10 minutes or until desired tenderness. Stir occasionally.
4. Drain pasta and rinse with cold water.
SAUCE
1. Heat a medium saucepan to medium-low heat. Add the garlic and butter. Saute for 5 minutes.
2. Add the lemon juice, white wine, heavy whipping cream, salt and pepper. Begin whisking to incorporate.
3. Continue whisking every minute or so until sauce begins to thicken. Taste for salt and pepper. Add more if it’s to your liking.
ROASTED TOMATOES
1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Rinse and slice tomatoes in half and place in a small bowl.
3. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper.
4. Bake in oven for 10-12 minutes.
SEARED SCALLOPS
1. Place scallops on paper towel and dab to remove excess moisture. Season with sea salt.
2. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Heat a medium-size skillet to medium-high heat. Add the fat. Wait at least 5 minutes to ensure the pan is hot enough for searing.
4. Quickly place the scallops in the skillet. You should hear searing right away.
5. Sear for 2 minutes and flip. Sear the other side for 2 minutes.
6. Remove from skillet and place on the small baking sheet.
7. Bake in the oven with the cherry tomatoes for 4-5 minutes to cook through.
8. Toss with pasta, sauce, tomatoes, and micro-greens. ENJOY!
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 mintes
- Category: dinner
Keywords: seared scallop, pasta dinner, lemon garlic sauce
