Scallop pasta with tomato and spinach in a lemon and garlic butter sauce is an impressive, Restaurant quality meal that you can easily prepare at home! It only takes 30 minutes and requires simple ingredients. Sear the scallops in the pan until a golden brown crust forms and have a perfectly tender and moist texture.
Scallop Noodles – A gourmet, restaurant-quality 30-minute meal
Scallop pasta is one of those must-have recipes It only takes 30 minutes to prepare Still, it looks chic and presentable like a gourmet entree from a top restaurant. This homemade meal includes: fresh and colorful ingredients: Tomatoes, spinach, garlic, olives, capers and fresh herbs. I pan seared the scallops until they had a nice golden crust and then sandwiched them between fettuccine pasta topped with fresh veggies in one delicious dish Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce. This 30-minute dinner is perfect for a busy weekday with family or a date night. It has definitely become a family favorite and a favorite entree with my family and friends. For even more scallop pasta inspiration, maybe try creamy scallop pasta with mozzarella sauce or delicious scallop spaghetti in white wine sauce with capers.
ingredients you need
- scallops. I used a larger variety – I recommend using the largest scallops you can find at your local grocery store. Larger scallops are much easier to sear.
- Pasta. You can use any type you want. I used longer noodles – fettuccine. My other favorite pastas for this recipe are spaghetti, bucatini, angel hair pasta, and linguine.
- Olive oil. Use refined and lighter olive oil for cooking with a higher smoke point since you are searing scallops over high heat. Do not use low smoke point extra virgin olive oil. You can also use other cooking oils like canola oil, avocado oil, or coconut oil.
- Butter. I only added a small amount of salted butter at the very end over low heat for a light garlic butter sauce. I didn’t use butter to sear the scallops.
- Garlic. I love using generous amounts of garlic (in this recipe, 5 large, chopped cloves). The flavor of the garlic softens significantly as it cooks, so I definitely recommend using a generous amount for scallop pasta.
- lemon juice. For the bright flavor, I recommend using freshly squeezed lemon juice (about half a lemon)!
- Tomatoes. I used two-tone grape tomatoes (or cherry tomatoes). You make a beautiful presentation. Of course you can also use regular tomatoes.
- Spinach. I used fresh spinach, which I collapsed right in the same pan as the rest of the ingredients.
- olives. Use pitted kalamata and green olives.
- capers Add salty and salty flavor and ensure a beautiful presentation.
- Fresh herbs like thyme add a touch of freshness to the scallop pasta!
- Red pepper flakes add some heat.
Scallop pasta with tomatoes and spinach in a lemon garlic butter sauce
Scallop Pasta with Tomatoes and Spinach in a Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce is an impressive, restaurant-quality meal that’s easy to make at home! It only takes 30 minutes and requires simple ingredients. The scallops are seared in the pan until a golden brown crust forms and they have a perfectly tender and moist texture.
Ingredients
pasta
- 12 oz pasta Fettuccine or other long pasta
scallops
- 1.5 Pound scallops
- 2 tablespoon cooking oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
vegetables and sauce
- 5 cloves Garlic chopped
- 10 oz cherry tomatoes (red and yellow), halved
- 5 oz fresh spinach
- ⅓ Cup Kalamata olives cut
- ¼ Cup green olives cut
- 2 tablespoon Salted butter
- ½ whole lemon
- 3 tablespoon capers drained, shared
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
instructions
How to sear scallops
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If using frozen scallops, make sure the scallops are completely thawed. Pat each scallop with paper towels to remove excess water. It is best to sear scallops after taking them out of the fridge (to bring them closer to room temperature) for 30 minutes.
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Season the scallops with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
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Heat 2 tablespoons cooking oil in a large 12-inch skillet over high heat until shimmering without smoking.
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Add scallops without overcrowding the pan.
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Sear on one side until a golden crust forms on the bottom of the scallops, about 3 to 4 minutes. Do not move the scallops in the pan.
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Flip the scallops to the other side and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.
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Remove from the heat and immediately transfer the scallops to the plate. Don’t let the scallops rest in the hot pan without a stove. This will cause them to steam and lose their crust.
Prepare and assemble the sauce
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In the same, now empty pan, add chopped garlic, half the cherry tomatoes (save the other half for later), and 1 tablespoon capers. Cook over medium heat for 4 minutes while stirring.
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Add fresh spinach and cook over medium-high heat for a few minutes until spinach wilts.
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Add the remaining half of the tomatoes.
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Add sliced olives.
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Add cooked, drained pasta and butter.
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Squeeze the lemon juice over the pasta and stir.
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Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
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Top with cooked scallops. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of capers over the scallop pasta. Top with fresh thyme. Season with freshly ground black pepper and red pepper flakes.
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is an estimate only and is provided for convenience and courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for each recipe on this website cannot be guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for the advice of a professional nutritionist.
What should you serve with it?
I recommend serving a crusty slice of Italian bread (or olive bread) alongside a simple salad. Here are a few suggestions:
Other scallop recipes you may like
Tips for searing scallops to perfection
- Thaw completely. If using frozen scallops, make sure the scallops are completely thawed. I thaw them in the fridge overnight.
- Pat them dry. Pat each scallop with paper towels to remove excess water.
- Bring the scallops to room temperature before cookingletting rest on a plate on the countertop for 30 minutes before cooking.
- Use high heat. Heat a large skillet over high heat for about 2 minutes, then add cooking oil and once it is shimmering, add the scallops.
- Don’t overfill. When searing scallops, make sure you leave enough space between each scallop and don’t overcrowd the pan. If scallops are too close together, they will be steamed instead of seared.
- Use a large skillet. This will give you more surface area to sear more scallops. Sear the scallops until nicely golden, about 4 minutes on each side. Do not move the scallops in the pan. This allows the golden crust to form and seals in the juice. The scallops are tender and moist.
- Remove cooked scallops from heat and immediately transfer to plate. Do not leave the scallops in the hot non-stove pan or they will begin to steam, lose their crust and become hard.
Scallops are best for pasta
- Use scallops. They are large scallops, usually around 1.5 to 2 inches in diameter.
- Because of their size, scallops are easy to sear. You can easily get a nice golden crust on your scallops by using them.
How to thaw frozen scallops
- Thaw frozen scallops store in the fridge overnight.
- Do not use a microwave. Do not defrost on the kitchen worktop.
- After thawing and just before cooking, pat the scallops dry with paper towels.
Is it best to use frozen or thawed scallops?
I’ve found that it doesn’t matter. If you can find fresh scallops that’s great, they’re delicious! But I’ve used frozen scallops so many times and they taste so good that I almost always use frozen ones now. Just make sure to thaw them properly.
Substitutions and Variations
- scallops or shrimp Either will work great in this recipe. You can even use boiled or grilled lobster tail meat here.
- Pasta. I recommend any type of pasta with long strands, like spaghetti, fettuccine, pappardelle, or linguine pasta. But actually, you can use any type of pasta you like – it would work just fine!
- Vegetables. Add sliced peppers, mushrooms, artichokes, or sun-dried tomatoes to the scallop pasta.