Seared Scallop Pasta with Browned Butter & Sage
Browned butter and sage! What could possibly top those flavours? I will tell you what… scallops!
This recipe is ridiculously simple and tastes like a dish you would buy at a five star restaurant. A nice quick dinner to impress your guests! Or, if you are new mommy like me and “Date Night” is a thing of the past, you can create a romantic dinner for two at home. Quickly throw down a table cloth, two candles and a big bowl of scallop pasta in front of your hubby and he may just remember why he married you in the first place!
- Greenfish Scallops (about 16 - 20 Large)
- 5 Tbsp Butter
- 20g fresh Sage Leaves
- 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
- 3/4 pack of Linguini Pasta
- Salt & Black Pepper
- Cook pasta as per package instructions.
- While the pasta is cooking, sear the scallops.
- Dry scallops off with a bit of paper towel.
- Once most of the moisture has been removed, season both sides with salt and pepper.
- In a pan melt the 1 tablespoon of the butter on a medium to high heat.
- When the butter is bubbling, place the scallops in the hot pan and sear for 1 to 1 and a half minutes per side depending on how big the scallops are. Do not allow the butter to burn.
- The scallops are done when they turn from translucent to white, and they should turn a lovely golden colour on the outside from the caramelization.
- Remove scallops from the pan and set aside.
- Drop the heat to medium and add the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter, allowing it to bubble and melt and turn a golden colour, being careful not to let it burn.
- Add the sage leaves and fry for a minute or two.
- Drain the pasta.
- Place the pasta and seared scallops into the browned butter and sage mixture and toss together.
- Add the parmesan, salt and pepper and toss once more.
- Serve immediately.
Easy Peezy Pan-Seared Scallops
My husband always shares his stories of when he worked in Australia, diving on the Great Barrier Reef, many years ago . One that always fascinated me was his description of how scallops used to fly through the water like Pac Man and how, in order to catch them, they would knock them with the back of their hand to throw them off balance! He always described how delicious and fresh they were as they literally pan-fried them on the boat for dinner that same night. This is his simple recipe on how to cook them, which is the same method he used many years ago out in the open sea.
- Greenfish Scallops (4-5 Large per person)
- Knob of Butter (to cover the bottom of a pan)
- Salt & Pepper
- Dry the scallops off with a bit of paper towel.
- Once most of the moisture has been removed, season both sides with salt and pepper.
- In a pan melt the butter on a medium to high heat.
- When the butter is bubbling, place the scallops in the hot pan and sear for 1 to 1 and a half minutes per side depending on how big the scallops are. Do not allow the butter to burn.
- The scallops are done when they turn from translucent to white, and they should turn a lovely golden colour on the outside from the caramelization.
- Serve immediately with lemon and garlic mayonnaise and side dishes of your choice.
- Combine 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon crushed garlic, 2 teaspoons of lemon juice and a pinch of black pepper in a small bowl.
- The lemon & garlic mayonnaise is optional but adds a nice zesty flavor to the scallops.
