Description
This scallop pasta tastes like a restaurant meal but is easy to make at home. Tender scallops, chewy linguine, and a breadcrumb topping. YUM!
Ingredients
Units
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Breadcrumb mixture:
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (high quality)
- 1 tsp. lemon zest
For the scallop linguine:
- 1 lb. linguine
- 1 cup starchy pasta water (reserved from cooking pasta)
- 1 lb. bay scallops (the small ones)
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 2 cloves garlic
- for finishing: high-quality olive oil, flaky sea salt, freshly cracked pepper, red pepper flakes, fresh parsley
Instructions
- In a small food processor, pulse together garlic and pine nuts until chopped into small pieces. Add panko bread crumbs and pulse until just combined. Heat butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat and toast breadcrumb mixture for 2-4 minutes, until golden brown. Set aside, and when cool, stir in lemon zest and parmesan cheese.
- Cook pasta in a large pot of salted water according to package instructions to al dente, reserving at least 1 cup of pasta water.
- Meanwhile, pat scallops dry with a paper towel. Heat olive oil and butter in a large stainless steel skillet and when hot, add scallops in a single layer. Season with sea salt and cook for about 2-4 minutes, until just cooked through. Add garlic to skillet and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add cooked linguine and about 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water to scallop skillet and toss together, adding more pasta water if needed.
- Serve pasta in shallow bowls and drizzle with high-quality olive oil. Top with breadcrumb mixture and season with flaky sea salt, freshly cracked pepper, red pepper flakes, and chopped parsley to taste.
Notes
- Bay scallops are smaller than sea scallops and work really well in this scallop pasta recipe. If you prefer, you could also use sea scallops or read more about the difference above in the post.