Scallop Linguine

🤍 Recipe Highlights

I have summarised everything that you will come to know and love (LOVE ❤) about the scallop linguine alfredo recipe in the points below:

• Simple ingredients: each of the ingredients that you will need to make this recipe will be readily available at your local grocery store. For the fresh scallops, head to the seafood section! We need minimal ingredients so it is perfect for a weeknight dinner.
• Comfort food: pasta dishes like this are known as comfort food for a reason! This scallop pasta recipe is absolutely loaded with a ton of flavor. From the garlic, to the butter, cream, cheese, scallops and pasta, you will be ticking all of the comfort food boxes.
• Fuss free: this simple seafood pasta recipe takes minimal effort to bring together, yet delivers a delicious dinner with texture and creamy yum all at the same time.
• Versatile: this a basic creamy pasta recipe that works. Adding the juicy scallops brings a chewy tenderness with additional protein to the dish.
• Fine dining: nothing says 'fine dining' more than a juicy scallop pasta recipe. This scallops and linguine dish can easily be made at home, yet is something you are more accustomed to seeing on menus when eating out and about around town. Save yourself the $ and whip it up for a special dinner at home or have it be your date night dinner every now and then.

🥗 Ingredients

The photo below is to show you everything you need to make the scallop linguine recipe. Please refer to the printable recipe card for specific ingredient measurements as well as detailed instructions.

As you can see the recipe calls for:

• Butter (scallops): we use a couple of knobs of butter in the pan when we are cooking the scallops. Doing so gives them a lovely golden brown sear.
• Scallops: juicy and succulent, scallops are a true delight to cook! You can use bay scallops or sea scallops. We don't need the shells or roe.
• Salt: we use a little bit of salt when frying the garlic in the butter. For this reason it is recommended that the butter used in the recipe is unsalted butter. This way the dish doesn't become 'too salty!'.
• Butter (sauce): when it comes to making the pasta sauce, the butter is one of the 1st ingredients that gets added to the pan. We use this to cook the garlic and salt.
• Garlic: you can use 2-3 cloves of fresh garlic, minced garlic or chunky chopped garlic as you see in the photo above. Whichever is the most convenient option for you is the one to go with.
• Parmesan cheese: we want to use a micro plane zester to grate this so that it is fresh and soft. We use some for the pasta sauce and then some as a garnish on the finished pasta.
• Cream: heavy cream or cooking cream is what we are after.
• Linguine: this is a type of pasta that is long like spaghetti and wide like fettucine but not as wide.
• Parsley: a great fresh herb that adds a few pops of colour and flavor to the pasta.
• Cheese: we use a little bit of this grated over the top of the pasta when we have plated it.
• Pepper: a sprinkling of freshly cracked pepper over a piping hot pasta is the perfect finishing touch to the dish!

Tasty Tip: I like to provide you with a number of substitutions and variations giving you an array of options when making the recipe. If in doubt of any of the above ingredients, or wanting alternatives, read this section (further below) before jumping into the instructions on how to make the recipe which are coming next 😉👌.

🍳 Instructions

Here are the step by step instructions to make the recipe. We start by pan searing the scallops as you see in the photos below.

• Add the butter and scallops to the pan and cook (Photo 1)
• Then add the other butter, garlic and salt and sauté (Photo 2)
• Cook pasta and reserve the water (Photo 3)
• Add the cream the garlic mixture (Photo 4)

👩‍🍳 How to Make Scallop Linguine

To make the scallop linguine, place a large sauté pan on the stove top and turn the heat to high. Add the butter and then the scallops. Cook the scallops, flipping to allow both sides to sear for around 5-6 minutes.

Once the scallops are cooked, use a slotted turner to lift them up and out of the pan and place them into a paper towel lined bowl.

Next, we start on the sauce.

Without rinsing or cleaning the pan, add the 2nd lot of butter, garlic and salt. Cook these allowing the butter to melt and the garlic to soften for around 1 minute. Stir with a wooden spoon occasionally during this time.

• Add the parmesan cheese (Photo 5)
• Stir to combine (Photo 6)
• Cook and drain the pasta (Photo 7)
• Add the reserved pasta water (Photo 8)

Once the garlic is cooked, we want to pour the cream into the pan and then add the parmesan cheese to the centre. Turn the heat down to low and let the cheese melt and the sauce bubble away.

During this time you can cook the pasta.

To do so, read and follow the package directions to cook the pasta in a medium pot of boiling salted water. Moments before it is al dente (still a little bit chewy) use a heat proof jug to scoop out and reserve 1- 2 cups of the pasta water.

Once done use a colander over the sink to drain and discard the rest of the water.

Then add the cooked drained pasta to the pasta sauce followed by ½ cup of the pasta water.

• Add the chopped parsley (Photo 9)

Once you have added the reserved pasta water, add the chopped parsley like you see me about to do in photo above.

Then add the cooked scallops back to the pan as shown in the photo below.

• Add the cooked scallops (Photo 10)

With the parsley and scallops in the pan, all we need to do now is toss it all together and gently stir in the scallops.

These will take a couple of minutes to reheat and once they have we can get our garnish on with some freshly grated parmesan cheese and black pepper.

• Heat and garnish the dish (Photo 11)

Then when you are ready call everyone to the table as 'dinner is served!'.

🍽 Serving Suggestions

If you are a garlic bread and pasta family, you might like to serve the scallops with the Tortilla Garlic Bread, Garlic Pizza Bread, Turkish Garlic Bread or the Garlic Ciabatta.

If a side salad is more your thing try serving the scallops linguine with the Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad, Tomato Bread Salad or the Fresh Herb Salad.

For a wine pairing, try a chilled rose or a crisp white wine like a pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc. Either will go down a treat with the pasta. For red wine lovers, a smooth red like a pinot noir is your best match 😉👌.

👍 How to Guide

How to Store

Store leftovers of the scallops linguine in a sealed, airtight container. They can be kept for up to 2 days and need to be reheated before being consumed.

How to Freeze

I don't recommend freezing leftovers of this dish. The creamy alfredo sauce disappears once frozen and the pasta becomes dry and not as palatable as when fresh. It is best cooked and consumed or leftovers reheated in the next day or 2.

How to Reheat

Add leftover linguine with scallops to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Then heat on high in the microwave for 1-3 minutes until warmed through.

😉 Substitutions and Variations

Here are my sub ins and outs that you might be thinking about as you read the post and I will tell you if I think they will work or why they won't:

• You can use pecorino romano cheese in place of the parmesan cheese both for the sauce and the garnish if you wish too.
• Curly parsley can be used in place of the Italian flat leaf parsley.
• Spaghetti, Angel hair, tagliatelle or pappardelle are all pastas that will work well for this recipe in place of the linguine.
• You can pan fry some diced bacon with the scallops for an additional protein in the recipe if you wish too (1 cup will be plenty).
• You can add some spinach or rocket (arugula) leaves for a vegetable component if you wish too. To do so add the leaves after adding the reserved pasta water and they will wilt as you toss the linguine.

💡 Tasty Tips

Here are my top tips and tricks that I want to share with you so that you master the recipe from the get go:

• If there is too much excess liquid in the pan when you are searing the scallops, fold a piece of paper towel and use this to absorb some of it. The scallops won't 'sear' as well than when there is less liquid.
• Don't worry about being too specific when you are scooping the pasta water out. You will be standing over the hot stove and the water will be bubbling and splashing away. So scoop out more than needed and measure later.
• If the sauce looks like it is setting on the stove or looks like it is not consistent, simply give it another stir or 2 and it will return to a creamy sauce.
• If you love seafood recipes you might also like to try the Stuffed Scallops, Seafood Risotto, Prawn Fritters, Cajun Prawns, Prawn Skewers, Salmon Fettuccine or the Prawn Fettuccine 😉👌.

🤓 Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best cooking method for scallops?

Searing scallops in a hot pan on the stove, flipping from one side to the other is the best cooking method for scallops.

What food goes with scallops?

Pasta is the perfect food to go with scallops. They are a complimentary dining reminiscent of special occasions.

What vegetables taste good with scallops?

Leafy greens like spinach or arugula taste good with scallops. As does pan seared asparagus or sliced mushrooms.

😍 More Easy Dinner Recipes

Here are some more dinner recipes to offer you inspiration! They have a wide variety of proteins, cooking methods, taste and textures:

• Slow Cooker Pork Chops With Apples
• Garlic Chicken Parmesan Pasta
• Pork Leg Roast
• Chorizo Fried Rice
• Roast Pork Shoulder
• Pork Mince Fried Rice
• Greek Leg Of Lamb
• Thai Minced Pork
• Herb Crusted Rack Of Lamb
• Brown Rice Fried Rice

It is time to get our scallop linguine on my friend! You can also find all of my seafood recipes or dinner recipes in the one spot.

Adrianne

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