Pan-Seared Scallops with Lemon Parsley Pasta
Ready in 20 minutes! Tender seared scallops tossed with herby spaghetti and finished with lemon zest. Perfect for your holiday table or a busy weeknight meal.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 653kcal
Ingredients
- 1 lb sea scallops
- 1 lb spaghetti
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 large shallots
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 anchovy fillets (optional)
- 1/2 cup dry vermouth
- 3/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest for serving
Instructions
- Prepare scallops by lying them out single layer on a paper towel and drying then well. Sprinkle with salt and set aside.
- Put a large pot of water on to boil, once the water comes to a boil add a generous amount of salt (the water should taste like seawater). Add spaghetti and cook for 1 minute less than package instructions recommend, spaghetti should be al dente and a litltle underdone. You will continue to cook in the sauce. RESERVE THE PASTA WATER!
- In the meantime, place a large skillet on the stovetop and heat to medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter. Once the fat in the pan begins to smoke slightly gently add the scallops to the pan. Do not allow the scallops to touch each other. Sear for 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until very lightly golden brown. Remove scallops from pan and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add the additional olive oil and butter. Reduce heat to medium and add the shallots, garlic, and crushed red pepper to the pan. Stir frequently for 3 minutes.
- Add anchovies to the pan, breaking them up with the back of a wooden spoon and allowing them to just melt into the mixture. This will take about 3 minutes.
- Deglaze the pan with the vermouth (or white wine), using a wooden spoon to release all of the bits from the bottom of the pan. Allow the alcohol to burn off and the liquid reduce by one half.
- Add 1/2 cup chopped parsley to the pan and stir well.
- In this next step, you want to work quickly. Using tongs transfer the spaghetti to the saucepan and stir well to coat all the noodles in the sauce. Add 1 ladle of salty starchy pasta water and incorporate into the noodles and sauce. The pasta water will make the sauce creamy and luscious. Add the scallops back to the pasta and gently stir around. Add more water as needed so the pasta is super creamy and sauced.
- Finish the pasta by adding the remaining parsley and lemon zest on top. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Calories: 653kcal | Carbohydrates: 93g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 512mg | Potassium: 589mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1123IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 3mg
