Description
An elegant seafood pasta dish featuring perfectly seared scallops atop al dente spaghetti in a light lemon-garlic sauce. Restaurant-quality dinner that’s surprisingly simple to make at home.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound large sea scallops, patted very dry
- 12 ounces spaghetti
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lemon (juice and zest)
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Cook spaghetti according to package directions; reserve 1/2 cup pasta water.
- Season scallops with salt and pepper. Sear in hot oil for 2-3 minutes per side until golden.
- In same pan, add butter and garlic, cook 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add wine, lemon juice, and zest. Simmer 2 minutes.
- Toss pasta with sauce, adding pasta water if needed. Top with scallops and parsley.
Notes
- Thoroughly pat scallops dry for perfect searing
- Don’t move scallops while searing for best crust
- Fresh scallops are best but frozen work well if thawed properly
- Serve immediately while scallops are hot
- Garnish with extra lemon wedges if desired
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
Nutrition
- Calories: 490
- Sodium: 620mg
- Fat: 18g
- Carbohydrates: 54g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 32g
- Cholesterol: 65mg