Restaurant-worthy does not have to mean complicated. These Lemon Garlic Butter Scallops over Linguine come together in about 25 minutes, yet taste like something from a white-tablecloth bistro. Plump sea scallops get a golden, caramelized sear, then nestle into twirls of linguine glossed with bright lemon garlic butter. It is elegant enough for date night and easy enough for a Tuesday night, the best kind of recipe. The secret is patting the scallops very dry so they sear instead of steam.
Ingredients
- 12 oz linguine
- 1 1/4 lbs large sea scallops, patted very dry
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Cook the linguine in well-salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain.
- Season the scallops generously with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat until just smoking.
- Sear the scallops about 2 minutes per side without moving them, until deeply golden with a crisp crust. Transfer to a plate.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter, then add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook 1 minute until fragrant but not browned.
- Pour in the wine and lemon juice, scraping up the browned bits. Simmer 2 minutes.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, the lemon zest, and 1/2 cup of the pasta water, swirling until the sauce turns silky.
- Toss the linguine through the sauce, adding more pasta water as needed to gloss every strand.
- Nestle the scallops over the pasta, shower with parsley, and serve with lemon wedges.
