These soft on the inside, crispy on the outside, buttery bites of delight are relatively easy to make and even better than they look. When paired with this lemon parmesan bow tie pasta and garnished with chopped green onions, this dish becomes something magical.
Let's Cook!
Ingredients:
1 lb fresh Scallops
2 tbsp Old Bay Seasonings
1 lb bow tie pasta, cooked to Al dente
1 stick butter, divided
4 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 tbsp minced garlic, or two fresh garlic cloves, minced
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
8 baby bella mushrooms, sliced
3 Roma tomatoes, finely diced
1 jar grilled artichokes, drained and chopped
2 cups spinach, finely chopped
2 tbsp (jar) "Better than Chicken Bouillon"
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup Marsala or white wine of choice
2-3 tbsp corn starch for desired sauce thickness
2 tsp salt, plus 1 tbsp for pasta water
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp celery salt
1 tbsp Italian seasonings
2 cups parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 cup pasta water
The juice from one whole lemon
8 Basil leaves, julienned to garnish
1 bunch green onions, chopped, to garnish
Red pepper flakes, to garnish, optional
For the Scallops:
There a few secrets to making these skillet-blackened scallops. The first, is to make sure they are patted down with paper towels on the outside to make sure they are very dry before seasoning. Season all sides of your scallops with Old Bay Seasonings. Set aside.
Then LIGHTLY coat the pan with 2 tbsp butter. I usually take a paper towel and rub the butter on to the bottom of the skillet, just enough to keep the scallops from sticking to the pan.
Last, get the skillet hot before adding the seasoned scallops to the pan. Medium-high heat is best. This will ensure a nice crispy outside while keeping your scallops soft and moist on the inside. This kind of "flash" frying is the best way to cook your scallops without overcooking them and still getting that gorgeous outer crust.
Once your scallops have a nice coloring on the top and bottom, add 4 tbsp butter to the skillet. Use the melted butter to baste your scallops for 1-2 minutes. Remove from skillet and place scallops on to a platter and drizzle with pan drippings while they rest. Yum. Set aside.
For the pasta:
Cook your pasta according to the directions. (Remember! Your pasta water should taste like the sea! Don't be afraid to add 1 tablespoon of salt to your pasta water! No olive oil in your water! We will add that last, once cooked.) You can use whatever pasta you like, I prefer bow tie pasta with this dish. It is not only a nice presentation for the scallops but it's a relatively heavy pasta that holds on to the seasonings of the lemon parmesan well and adds just that much more flavor to this dish. Cook pasta to al dente (it will cook the rest of the way in the sauce),
For the Lemon Parmesan Sauce:
Add 2 tbsp chili garlic olive oil, 2 tbsp butter to a skillet. Once the butter melts, add onions, mushrooms to the skillet. Cook for 5 minutes or until softened.
Add tomatoes, artichokes, spinach and stir to combine. Sauté for 5 minutes or until tender.
Remove vegetables from skillet and set aside.
In the same skillet without cleaning, add remaining 4 tbsp butter, garlic and sauté for 3 minutes.
Add heavy cream, chicken bouillon, Marsala. Whisk well to combine.
Add corn starch and remaining seasonings and whisk. Allow sauce to thicken.
Add 1 1/2 cups parmesan cheese to the sauce and whisk well.
Add 1/2 cup pasta water to the sauce and whisk well. Let cook for 5 minutes.
Add more corn starch for desired thickness. Season to taste.
Add pasta directly to the sauce and mix to combine. Sprinkle with lemon juice and mix well to combine.
Allow pasta to simmer for an additional 10 minutes to allow sauce to adhere.
Pour pasta with sauce into a large pasta serving bowl. Sprinkle with additional 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, chopped basil.
Drizzle pasta with olive oil.
Garnish with red pepper flakes, optional.
To Serve:
Top your pasta with blackened scallops and garnish with green onions. Drizzle with additional olive oil. Simply delicious! Enjoy!
As always, I hope you will enjoy this recipe with those you love most! Let me know what you think and please feel free to share your gorgeous creations to social media! It's always fun to see what everyone is making!
Don't forget to check out my new cookbook, Michele's Southern Yum Cookbook now available on amazon.com or on this site.
Remember, it's more than just a meal. It's your love language. Express yourself well!
Have a blessed day!
Michele
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