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This pan seared scallops recipe is a savory, delicious and easy meal to make when you’re in the mood for changing up your pasta game and want something that feels a little fancy. Cooking scallops at home is actually easier than you think, and the result is juicy tender pieces of fish that are perfect to toss with pasta.
There’s nothing quite like the flavor and texture of pan fried scallops. The outer edge has a nice crispiness to it, with the inner offering that perfectly “melt in your mouth” moistness and tenderness. Pair that with the texture of the pasta, and this is literally the best comfort food recipe ever.
Why you’ll love scallop linguine
- Hearty and delicious comfort food.
- Easy way to add seafood and vegetables into your daily diet.
- Ready to eat in less than 30 minutes of time!
ingredients to cook scallops & pasta
- Scallops: Large scallops are best for this recipe so you can get that big scallop flavor!
- Linguine: The perfect texture for luigine is to eat it al dente. It should have a firm texture without any type of crunch.
- Avocado oil: Used to cook the scallops, but can be swapped with any other cooking oil.
- Butter: I like to use salted butter for this recipe to add some extra flavoring for cooking the scallops but you can use unsalted butter, too or just stick with the avocado oil only.
- Garlic cloves: Fresh garlic cloves add such a great garlic flavor.
- Cherry tomatoes: The sweetness of the cherry tomatoes add a perfect pairing with the scallops and help to create a sauce for the pasta.
- Seasonings & Herbs : Simple additions like salt and pepper are an easy flavor enhancement and finish it off with some freshly chopped parsley for a pop of color and freshness.
how to make pan seared scallops
- Add the dried scallops and avocado oil to your skillet.
- Cook one side thoroughly then flip and repeat.
- Remove the cooked scallops from the pan and add in the halved cherry tomatoes, cooking until they start to burst and create a sauce.
- Add in the cooked linguine and scallops and toss to combine.
Tips for making scallops with pasta
- Add salt to the water. Cooking your pasta in salt water helps the noodles not stick together when cooking them and helps flavor them from the beginning.
- Be careful not to overcook the scallops: Make sure the pan is hot before the scallops go in and watch for browning on one side, then immediately flip to the other side when the browning happens.
- Deglaze the skillet with the tomatoes. All the goodness that is left on the skillet after frying the scallops should be scraped off with a wooden spoon and mixed in as you’re cooking the tomatoes. There is so much flavor here that you don’t want to miss out on it!
- Add a little bit of olive oil to the water. If you’re not a fan of adding salt to the water, adding a few drops of olive oil will have the say affect so that the noodles don’t clump together while cooking.
popular substitutions & additions
- Add shrimp. Adding in another type of seafood or swapping out the scallops for shrimp is always a great addition.
- Change up the type of pasta. I love the texture of linguine but you can absolutely use other pasta types, too.
- Add vegetables. Adding onions would be a great crunchy texture as would a bit of chopped up broccoli or bell peppers too.
- Omit the tomatoes. If you’re not a fan of cooked tomatoes, you can easily leave them out. You can also used canned diced tomatoes, too.
- Top with shredded cheese. Freshly shredded parmesan cheese would be delicious on top.
what to serve with your seafood pasta recipe
how to reheat & store scallops and pasta
best way to store scallop pasta
Pasta is so good to eat as leftovers. To store this seared scallops recipe with pasta, add it all together in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge.
how long will this seared scallops recipe last in the fridge?
For the best flavor and taste, eat any leftovers of this seafood pasta recipe within 1-2 days.
can i freeze scallop linguine?
Once you make the pasta, it’s best to eat this linguine recipe fresh. Adding it to the freezer is possible, but it will cause the noodles to be mushy and have a weird texture once thawed and reheated.
how to reheat Leftover Pasta
The easiest way to reheat seared scallops and pasta is to reheat a bowl in the microwave. If you’re worried that it will be dried out, you can always add in a little bit of butter of olive oil and stir.
Frequently asked questions
I really like using a cast-iron skillet for cooking scallops as it’s a great way to have even heat for cooking. You can also use nonstick cookware too.
You can rinse the scallops off before cooking but make sure to pat them dry with a clean towel before cooking them in the skillet. You don’t want any moisture on them, or it will affect that outer layer of crispiness.
You may have overcooked the scallops, or there might have been too much liquid on the outside of the scallops before cooking them.
The scallops cook quickly and have a tender, buttery texture that pairs really well with the zesty fresh tasting pasta. Don’t like scallops? Or can’t find scallops? Try shrimp or even chicken! It’s a light, bright, and completely flavor-packed dish that is perfect for family dinner or a date night in.
More pasta recipes:
- Easy Baked Spaghetti
- Baked Pasta with Ground Turkey
- Arrabiata Pasta with Shrimp
- Garlic Butter Shrimp Spaghetti
- Cheese Stuffed Shells
More seafood recipes
If you try this healthy-ish feel good Pan Seared Scallops with Pasta recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. We would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots, share it on Instagram so we can repost on Stories!
This Pan Seared Scallops with Pasta recipe was originally published on July 8, 2017. The recipe has not been modified but the post now includes new step-by-step photos for how to make the scallop recipe.
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Pan Seared Scallops with Pasta
Video
Ingredients
- 8 ounces linguine
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 pound large scallops
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 garlic cloves finely minced
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved lengthwise
- Fresh chopped parsley for serving
Instructions
- Cook pasta in a large pot of heavily salted water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water and drain.
- Heat avocado oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Pat the scallops dry with paper towels and add to the skillet, in batches if needed, keeping them about 1 inch apart in the pan. Cook for 3 minutes, then season with salt and pepper, and flip on the other side.
- Add butter to the pan, season the other side with salt and pepper and cook for 3 more minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover and set aside.
- Add the garlic and cherry tomatoes to the pan along with ¼ cup of pasta water, scraping down any browned bits, and cook until the tomatoes soften and release some juice, about 3-5 minutes.
- Toss the cooked pasta with the tomatoes and add as much of the remaining pasta water as desired. Turn off the heat, return the scallops to the skillet along with any juices that have accumulated, and stir to coat with the sauce and pasta.
- Serve immediately with fresh parsley.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
The scallops came out perfectly (cooked them 2 minutes on second side). Great recipe!
So happy to hear!
Fairly flavorless…needs lemon, capers and shallots and cracked pepper.
Sorry to hear these did not come out as you expected. I prefer letting the sweetness of the scallops shine, but your thoughts about adding capers and shallots sounds really good, too!
Oh my gosh! This dish was absolutely delicious! Made with gluten free pasta and used Campari tomatoes instead of cherry tomatoes! I will make again! Thank you!
Yay, so happy you loved it!