Scallops with garlic butter pasta
Saint-Jacques scallops, hotate in Japanese, have sweet creamy flesh and cook in ninety seconds per side. They come shell free and individually frozen, so you take out exactly what you need and the rest stays untouched.
Instructions
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Dry the scallops well
Thaw the scallops for 4 to 6 hours in the fridge, then pat them with paper towels until the surface is completely dry. Skip this and they steam instead of searing.
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Cook the pasta ⏱ 9 min
Boil the linguine in well salted water, one minute less than the packet says. Save a cup of the cooking water before draining.
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Sear them briefly ⏱ 3 min
Salt the scallops right before they hit the pan. Heat half the butter until it sizzles and sear them for 90 seconds per side without moving them. Lift onto a warm plate.
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Make the garlic butter ⏱ 3 min
In the same pan over low heat, melt the rest of the butter with the garlic and chili flakes for 1 minute, without browning. Pour in the wine, give it 2 minutes, then add the lemon zest and juice.
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Toss with the pasta ⏱ 1 min
Add the drained pasta to the pan and toss vigorously with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the cooking water, until the sauce turns creamy and coats every strand.
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Serve straight away
Divide the pasta between plates, arrange the scallops on top and scatter the parsley. Add a lemon wedge on the side and serve while hot.
Good to know
The rule for scallops is simple: very hot pan, dry surface, salt at the last second. Salt them early and they weep water and never build that golden crust. The pasta water is not optional, it binds the butter and wine into a real sauce.
Frequently asked questions
Why do my scallops turn rubbery?
Either from overcooking or because they were salted too early and released water. Saint-Jacques scallops need only 90 seconds per side in a hot pan, and salt goes on just before they hit the pan.
How do I thaw Saint-Jacques scallops?
Leave them 4 to 6 hours in the fridge, then pat them with paper towels until the surface is completely dry. Without drying they steam in their own water and never build a golden crust.
Why add pasta water to the sauce?
The starch in the cooking water binds the butter and wine into a creamy sauce that coats every strand. You add 2 to 3 tablespoons, which is why you save a cup before draining.
Which pasta works with Saint-Jacques scallops?
Linguine or spaghetti, 320 g for 4 servings, boiled one minute less than the packet says. The long strands hold the garlic butter sauce well.
Ready to cook Seriosly?
Authentic taste isn't improvised, it's taken Seriosly.
Scallops with garlic butter pasta
Scallops with garlic butter pasta
Saint-Jacques scallops, hotate in Japanese, have sweet creamy flesh and cook in ninety seconds per side. They come shell free and individually frozen, so you take out exactly what you need and the rest stays untouched.
Notes
The rule for scallops is simple: very hot pan, dry surface, salt at the last second. Salt them early and they weep water and never build that golden crust. The pasta water is not optional, it binds the butter and wine into a real sauce.
