Description
A delicious and easy recipe for linguine noodles tossed with perfectly seared sea scallops, garlic, fresh herbs, and baby greens.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 ounces linguine noodles or other long noodles (gluten-free or legume pasta if desired)
- 1 pound sea scallops, thawed if frozen
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 zest of 1 lemon
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (tarragon, thyme, parsley, etc)
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 handful baby greens (spinach or kale)
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- Fresh ground black pepper
- Grated Parmesan cheese, for the garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Thaw the scallops, if frozen (see Notes).
- Start a pot of well salted water to a boil. Boil the pasta until it is just al dente. Start tasting a few minutes before the package recommends: you want it to be tender but still a little firm on the inside; usually around 7 to 8 minutes. Drain the pasta. (If it finishes before the sauce, add it back to the pot with a drizzle of olive oil so it doesn’t stick.)
- Meanwhile, in a shallow dish, mix together 4 cups room temperature water and 2 tablespoons kosher salt. Place the scallops in the water and wait for 10 minutes.
- Remove the scallops and dry thoroughly. Lightly season with several pinches of kosher salt. Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. If using a medium skillet, cook the scallops in two batches. Once the oil is hot, add the scallops and cook without turning for 2 to 3 minutes, until an even brown crust clearly forms on the bottom.
- Flip scallops with tongs. Cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes on the other side, until a crust just forms on the bottom and the center of the scallop is almost opaque. Remove the scallops from the skillet to a plate and turn off the heat.
- Turn on the heat to low. Add the butter and allow it to melt. Add the lemon zest, minced garlic, and chopped herbs. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a spatula to release flavor from any browned bits stuck to the pan. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant, adjusting the heat so the garlic is just sizzling but doesn’t brown.
- Add the milk, pasta, kosher salt, and greens and return the heat to medium; cook until greens are wilted. Return the scallops to the pan and cook for a few seconds until just warm. Add lots of fresh ground black pepper. Taste and add additional salt if necessary.
- Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and, if desired, grated Parmesan cheese.
Notes
- Thaw scallops under cold running water or in the refrigerator overnight.
- Make sure not to overcrowd the skillet when cooking scallops for an even sear.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Pan-fry
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 plate
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 22g
- Cholesterol: 80mg