Happy New Year! Seared scallops with garlic pasta was Mary Jo and my New Year’s Day dinner. Really easy but altogether delicious! And I got to break in my new Lodge carbon steel skillet. Merry Christmas from Mary Jo!
And bacon. Scallops are always great with bacon. And the pasta garlic sauce is so easy. This combination of flavors is something you should have a few times a year, because:
- It tastes so good
- It is a little bit decedent
- It takes minutes to prepare
- Scallops are always special
Clink!! And a good wine pairs so well.
My daughter Josie was the Assistant Winemaker at Chankaska Wines in Kasota, Minnesota. She has started to make sparkling wines, in the traditional French method for the winery, and also has a label of her own. It is Dew Drop. Her first sparkling wine is a 100% Minnesota Marquette grape, fermented on the skins to make a nice dark rose’ sparkling wine. It has marvelous bubbliness and was a real treat with our meal. Thanks for the wine Josie!
To sear the scallops, I left a little bacon grease in the pan and brought the temperature up to smoking. I seared the scallops for 1 1/2 minutes per side. These were relatively small sea scallops. Larger ones may take an extra half minute to cook through. The garlic sauce I made was a variation of my old post Creamy Garlic Sauce, without the cream.
Turned out to be a simple, but elegant meal. Perfect for New Year’s Day.
And give this easy scallops with garlic pasta recipe a try.
Here’s a couple more pasta recipes you might like to try too:
- Shrimp Mac and Cheese
- Tomato Spinach Pasta with Spicy Shrimp
- Midnight Spaghetti
- Pasta with Roma Tomatoes and Shrimp Sauce
- Shrimp Penne with Vodka Sauce
- Perfect Shrimp Scampi
Seared Scallops with Garlic Pasta
Ingredients
- 7 oz . linguini pasta , cooked al dente per instructions
- 12 to 14 small sea scallops , rinsed and side muscle removed
- 3 slices bacon , chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 5 large garlic cloves , minced
- 1 small shallot , minced
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper to taste
- chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Cook the pasta to al dente according to package instructions, drain and keep warm.
- Cook the chopped bacon pieces in a large skillet until nicely browned, then remove to a paper towel to drain the excess grease.
- Remove all but approximately 1 1/2 tbsp of the bacon grease from the skillet and bring the temperature of the pan to smoking. Pat the scallops dry with a paper towel, then salt and pepper them and place in the hot skillet, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Then, using tongs, turn the scallops and sear the second side 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Remove them from the skillet and cover to keep warm.
- Add the olive oil to the skillet and heat medium to medium low and add the garlic and shallot. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes to soften without browning the garlic.
- Add the wine and red pepper flakes and bring to a boil. Scrape the skillet with a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan. Taste and add salt and pepper as desired.
- Add the pasta and bacon bits to the sauce to warm. Serve right away topped with the scallops and parsley garnish.
Notes
- This can be served with grated parmesan also if desired.
These are great any time, not just for special dinners.