Brown Butter Scallops Pasta

A red dinner plate topped with scallops pasta with a brown butter.

2 from 1 vote

Brown Butter Scallops Pasta

Brown Butter Scallop Pasta with Bacon, an elegant yet easy dinner. The entire dinner is ready in about 20 minutes. Great for a crowd too.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Feast of the Seven Fishes, Scallop Dinner, Scallops and Pasta

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Total Time 15

Servings serving

Calories 290kcal

Author Eileen Kelly

Equipment

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8 Quart Pasta Pot
Cast Iron Skillet

Ingredients

12 ounces spaghetti
2 cups bay scallops Note 1
¼ teaspoon black pepper
3 strips bacon
3 cloves garlic
¼ cup unsalted butter Note 2
2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped optional garnish
salt, optional Note 3

Instructions

Cook the spaghetti according to package directions. Set aside.
Place the scallops on paper towels and press with additional paper towels to remove moisture. Season with black pepper.
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon to your preferred level of doneness. Remove the bacon to a paper-towel lined plate. Set aside.
To the pan, add the smashed garlic to the bacon grease and cook until lightly golden, about two minutes. Remove to a a plate
Add the dried scallops to the bacon grease and cook until golden brown, turning once.
Add the bacon and garlic back to the pan, along with the butter.
Sauté until the butter it is slightly browned. You can continue cooking until it reaches a chocolate brown-color, but avoid burning it.
Toss the cooked spaghetti with the scallop mixture, coating completely in the brown butter.
Remove from heat and garnish with parsley.

Notes

Note 1: Sea Scallops are larger and are a fabulous substitute. We generally use 3-4 scallops per serving. They sear for about 2 minutes per side

Note 2: I usually use unsalted butter for cooking and baking because I prefer to control the salt content. Salted butter can be used and be sure to taste the sauce before adding any additional sauce.

Note 3: The scallops and bacon produce natural salt flavors. Taste the sauce before serving. If needed, add additional salt, .

Variations:

One pound of large shrimp can be used, peeled and deveined. Same cooking times, about 3 minutes per side. The shrimp will be pink when cooked through.
Use your favorite long pasta such as linguine or fettuccini.
Herbs can change the flavor. Use your favorites such as basil, oregano, or thyme.

I'm not a registered dietician, I do my best to provide the most accurate nutritional values. Any nutritional data I provide is an approximation. Actual dietary information can vary based on ingredients and portion sizes.

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Nutrition