Lemon Garlic Scallop Pasta

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Ingredients
  

  • ¾ pound linguini
  • 1 pound scallops
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil plus some for drizzling
  • 3 tablespoons butter divided
  • 4 cloves garlic chopped
  • 1 large shallot finely chopped
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme leaves removed and chopped
  • 1 cup white wine Sauv Blanc
  • 1 cup seafood stock chicken stock will work too
  • 1 cup fresh basil torn
  • ½ cup chopped chives
  • 1 lemon zested and juiced

Instructions
 

  • Cook the pasta to package directions. Hold off on starting the scallops until you drop your pasta.
  • Remove the muscle from the scallops and pat dry with a paper towel pat. Season the scallops heavily with salt and pepper.
  • Preheat a large skillet (I like a cast iron skillet for this) over medium high heat. Add the olive oil, once shimmering, add scallops. Sear the scallops for 2-3 minutes on each side until super golden brown. The last minute, add 2 tablespoons of butter and baste the scallops, then remove from pan and tent loosely with foil to keep warm
  • Add an additional drizzle of olive oil to the skillet and add the garlic, shallots, crushed red pepper flakes, thyme, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium low and sauté garlic and shallots 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
  • Add wine to the pan and scrape up any pan drippings. Reduce the wine for 1 minute, then add seafood stock. Continue to cook for about 1 minute. Add the basil, chives, lemon zest and juice and the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and stir the mixture until the butter has melted. Add the cooked pasta and cook for about 30 seconds, just to combine and let the pasta soak up the sauce. Nestle the scallops back into the skillet to serve.

Notes

1: First - you need to remove the muscle from the scallop. You can ask your fish monger to show you how! If scallops are readily available at your local markets, I've had a lot of luck ordering them (and seafood in general) from this Alaskan company!
2: Make sure your scallops are DRY. Pat both sides dry with a paper towel. That's going to get you the best color.
3: Season liberally with salt and pepper.
4: Use a cast iron skillet and crank that heat. You want the pan to be hot before you place your scallops into the pan.
5: Make sure you use a thin coating of oil so really get that good sear and lock in the flavor. Too much oil will splatter. but you want the pan to be coated so nothing sticks.
6: Don't futz with them. Place them in the skillet and let them really brown before flipping. Don't peak or move them around. They only need to be flipped once, and when it's time to flip them, they should be so golden that it's really easy to flip!