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Creamy scallop pasta is a restaurant-quality pasta recipe loaded with succulent scallops in white wine cream sauce. So easy and delicious!
Scallop Pasta Recipe
I’m so excited to share this recipe as you can tell from the photos, this pasta is out-of-the-world delicious.
It rivals the best of Italian restaurants and you’ve gotta make it for dinner tonight!
For more seafood pasta recipes, check out my Shrimp and Spinach Pasta recipe next!
Bay Scallops Or Big Scallops
I used big scallops I got from Costco, they are fresh and reasonably priced.
However, bay scallops are definitely cheaper and will work just fine. The key is to choose “dry” (natural) scallops and not chemically treated “wet” scallops. Read more below.
How To Choose Scallops
There are two types of scallops: treated vs. untreated scallops. Untreated scallops are wild, sea scallops which are naturally sweet, briny in taste and absolutely delicious.
The exterior is milky white in color, sometimes with a tint of yellow or pink. The scallops are opaque and non-slippery to the touch.
When you rinse the scallops with water, the water doesn’t become foamy. Treated scallops are cheaper; they usually look plump, translucent and slippery to the touch.
When you rinse them in water, the water becomes foamy. Stay away from this type of scallops as they pretty much have no taste with lots of chemicals.
When you purchase frozen scallops in a package, it’s very important you read through the label.
Treated wet scallops usually has sodium tripolyphosphate, or STPP in them.
Which Pasta To Use
I used spaghetti, but you can certainly make this dish with linguine, spaghetti rigati, penne or rotini pasta.
The star of the dish is the creamy scallop pasta sauce made with garlic, white wine, heavy cream and other seasonings.
Ingredients
- Spaghetti
- Sea scallops
- Garlic
- Olive oil
- Lemon
- Lemon juice
- Parsley
- Crushed red pepper
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Heavy whipping cream
- Dry white wine
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.
How To Make This Recipe
Step 1: Heat up a pot of water and cook the spaghetti until al dente, per the package instructions. Drain the spaghetti when they are cooked.
Step 2: Season the scallops with salt and pepper. Heat up a skillet and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Pan-sear the scallops on high heat until both surface turn brown. Remove the scallops from the skillet. Set aside.
Step 3: Add the remaining olive oil into the pan and saute the garlic and crushed red pepper, about 10 seconds. Add the white wine, heavy whipping cream, lemon juice, salt and ground black pepper.
Step 4: Transfer the spaghetti and scallops into the skillet, stir to mix well with the creamy sauce. Add the chopped parsley and serve immediately with lemon wedges.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe is only 649 calories per serving.
What To Serve With Creamy Scallop Pasta
These side dishes go well with the scallop pasta. Make all of them for a wholesome dinner tonight!
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Other Recipes You Might Like
Creamy Scallop Pasta
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb (250g) spaghetti
- 1 lb (450g) sea scallops, rinse and pat dry with paper towels
- kosher salt
- ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 cup dry white wine , or Japanese cooking sake
- 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3/4 teaspoon salt , or more to taste
- ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Heat a pot of water and cook the spaghetti until al dente, according to the package instructions. Drain the spaghetti once it is cooked.
- Season the scallops with salt and pepper. Heat a skillet and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Pan-sear the scallops over high heat until both surfaces are browned. Remove the scallops from the skillet and set aside.
- Add the remaining olive oil to the pan and sauté the garlic and crushed red pepper for about 10 seconds. Then, add the white wine, heavy whipping cream, lemon juice, salt, and ground black pepper.
- Transfer the spaghetti and scallops to the skillet and stir to coat them well with the creamy sauce. Add the chopped parsley and serve immediately with lemon wedges.
Video
Notes
- I used big scallops I got from Costco, they are fresh and reasonably priced.
- However, bay scallops are definitely cheaper and will work just fine.
- The key is to choose “dry” (natural) scallops and not chemically treated “wet” scallops.
- I used spaghetti, but you can certainly make this dish with linguine, spaghetti rigati, penne or rotini pasta.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I am going to try this next week..thanks
Awesome Heather, I think you will like it. Happy cooking. Please check out other recipes on my site: https://rasamalaysia.com/recipe-index-gallery/
Loved your simple yet sophisticated recipe! Eating it with my sons tonight in Toronto.
Hi Sabrina, thanks for trying my scallop pasta. Please try more recipes on my site: https://rasamalaysia.com/recipe-index-gallery/
Made it for dinner last night to see if it would be worthy of a Christmas celebration meal – we were blown away!! Loved it more than I thought I would – so simple and easy – I cannot wait to make it for my guests!!
Hi Toni, thanks for trying my scallop pasta recipe. Please try other recipes on my site: https://rasamalaysia.com/recipe-index-gallery/
I have a question for you, can I make the sauce a little before hand so I can combine all the ingredients when my company arrives?? Just curious if letting it sit would cause the cream to separate ?? Thanks in advance – cannot wait to try all your other delicious recipes!!
Yes sure you can prepare the sauce earlier.
I made it last night. My wife loved it. Simple and delicious!!
Hi Shelby thanks so much for trying my creamy scallop pasta. Please try more recipes on my site: https://rasamalaysia.com/recipe-index-gallery/
This is the first time I have cooked scallops. I used pasta water instead of wine. Flavor was AMAZING! I didn’t use enough water so the pasta was a little dry but I will definitely be using this recipe again. Dianna
Hi Dianna, thanks so much for trying my scallop pasta recipe. :)
Love your recipes, so easy and flavorful, and scallops are my favorite
8 oz pasta seems light for 4, most recommend 3-4 oz dry pasta per person for a full meal. Anyway, even though I used an artisan brand of pasta designed to hold on to sauce more, though I did use dry pasta, it wouldn’t absorb it. No matter, basics are good, the flavor profile was spot on. Lately the local butcher has been getting in enormous scallops, dry pack, so I’m always up for a scallop recipe. Amazing how sweet tasting scallops are.
Oops, I just looked at my recipe, my serving was for 3 people, we are small eaters. Lol. You can try my other scallops recipes here: https://rasamalaysia.com/tag/scallops
I think the proportions are off in this recipe. I tried it as written, but it was very watery and the sauce did not stick to the pasta at all. I think the issue is the 1 cup(!) of white wine, I’d say maybe 1/4 cup max. Also, I’d suggest that after sauteing the garlic and pepper flake in olive oil, add the lemon juice and wine and reduce the wine to a more syrupy consistency, then add the cream and let it reduce slightly to thicken.
In general this is similar to how I do pasta off the cuff but I usually use half butter and half olive oil, because, well, butter!
Hi Sev, that’s very strange. As you can see from my recipe, the pasta is dry and not wet. This recipe serves 4 people and white wine evaporizes quickly. Of course you can reduce the sauce to your desired consistency before adding the pasta. Also, pasta tends to soak up the sauce after it’s cooked.
The same thing happened to me. Way too much wine
I have tried for two days to copy this recipe that I definitely want to try but the link is going nowhere. Everytime I command it to print, it goes back to the original page. Thanks.
That was delicious! I just made it. My husband and I both loved it. Thanks for the recipe!