Seared Scallop Pasta with Parsley & Burst Tomatoes

Lately I’m really trying to make dinner recipes that feel special. Now that I’m cooking pretty much every meal at home throughout quarantine, it’s so easy to make the same pantry meals on autopilot without putting any creativity into it. Even as someone who loves cooking, the monotony is cooking every single meal, every single day has been hard!

With that in mind, making this simple scallop recipe sparked a lot of joy for me. Scallops are more of a speciality ingredient in my kitchen, because I’m picky about where they come from and the good ones are pricey. I got these ones from Farm Boy and they were so buttery and tender, I can’t wait to pick up more. This simple pasta with tomatoes and herbs really let’s the scallops shine in the dish, and I had mine with a crisp glass of white wine (the same wine I used for the sauce). It was a special meal that came together in 30 minutes, and changing up my regular dinner routine felt like such a treat.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 pound spaghettini or your choice of pasta
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 pound large sea scallops, patted dry
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 cups roughly chopped parsley

Instructions

1. Set water to boil and cook pasta to al dente.
2. Meanwhile, season the scallops well on both sides with salt and pepper. In a cast iron skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the scallops and cook until golden brown and crisp (2 minutes per side), flipping just once. Be careful not to disturb the scallops once they’re in the pan, so they get nice and crispy golden. Set scallops aside.
3. Turn heat down to medium-high, add in remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, and sauté onions, garlic and tomatoes until slightly softened and tomatoes have started to burst.
4. Deglaze the pan with wine, letting wine slightly slightly evaporate.
5. Add in pasta and parsley, tossing thoroughly to combine. Top with scallops and serve.