Seafood pasta recipes: lemon butter scallop linguine for two

Name: Seafood pasta recipes: lemon butter scallop linguine for two
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients: 12 large dry-packed sea scallops, about 1 lb (450g); 1/2 tsp kosher salt; 1/4 tsp white pepper; 1 tbsp neutral oil; 1 tbsp unsalted butter; 6 oz (170g) linguine; 4 tbsp unsalted butter; 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced; 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes; 1/4 cup dry white wine; Juice and zest of 1 lemon; 3/4 cup reserved pasta water; 1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley; 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, optional

Nov 6

3 min read

Updated: 2 hours ago

Golden seared scallops on lemon butter linguine with parsley in a shallow pasta bowl

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Dinner for two, 30 minutes, one skillet

Scallops are expensive and they take two and a half minutes to cook, which is an uncomfortable combination. The good news is that the technique is simple and unforgiving in only one way: they must be bone dry and the pan must be hot. Do that and you get a deep golden crust and a sweet, barely-set centre. The pasta sauce is built in the same pan afterwards.

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Why this one works

Dry scallops and a hot pan are the entire recipe. Everything else is assembly.
Pasta water is what turns butter and lemon into an actual sauce instead of a puddle.
Thirty minutes, one skillet, and it genuinely looks like a restaurant plate.

At a glance

Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2 servings
Protein: 42g per serving
Calories: 724 per serving

Ingredients

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Scallops

12 large dry-packed sea scallops, about 1 lb (450g)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
1 tbsp neutral oil
1 tbsp unsalted butter

Lemon butter pasta

6 oz (170g) linguine
4 tbsp unsalted butter
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup dry white wine
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
3/4 cup reserved pasta water
1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, optional

Instructions

Dry the scallops for real. Pull off the small tough side muscle if it is still attached. Lay the scallops on paper towel, put another sheet on top and press gently. Leave them for 10 minutes while the water boils. They should feel tacky, not slippery.
Start the pasta. Boil the linguine in well-salted water to one minute short of the package time. Reserve a full cup of pasta water before you drain it.
Sear the scallops. Season the scallops just before cooking — salt too early draws out moisture. Heat the oil in a skillet over high until it smokes faintly. Lay them in with space between each and do not touch them for 90 seconds. Add the butter, flip, and give them 60 to 90 seconds more. Move them to a plate.
Build the sauce. Lower the heat to medium. Add the 4 tbsp butter, garlic and red pepper flakes to the same pan and cook 90 seconds until the garlic is pale gold.
Deglaze and emulsify. Pour in the wine and scrape up the fond, reducing by half. Add the lemon juice, zest and 1/2 cup of the pasta water, then add the drained linguine straight into the pan. Toss hard for a minute, adding more pasta water a splash at a time until the sauce turns glossy and clings.
Plate. Stir in the parsley and Parmesan if using. Twirl the pasta into two shallow bowls and arrange the scallops on top, seared side up, with any resting juices poured over.

Notes and swaps

Buy dry-packed scallops if you can find them. Wet-packed ones are treated with a phosphate solution and will steam rather than sear no matter what you do.
Frozen scallops: thaw overnight in the fridge, then dry them for a full 15 minutes.
Do not put the scallops back in the sauce. They overcook in seconds and lose the crust.