Equipment
Ingredients
Seafood
- 450 g sea scallops, side muscle removed, patted completely dry
Pasta & Produce
- 340 g linguine
- 300 g broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 15 g garlic, minced
- 30 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
Pantry & Dairy
- 80 g unsalted butter, divided into 15g and 65g portions, cold
- 15 ml olive oil
- 60 ml dry white wine
- 5 g salt
- 2 g black pepper, freshly cracked
- 1 g red pepper flakes
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 620 kcal
- Protein
- 28 g
- Carbohydrates
- 72 g
- Fat
- 23 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 965 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 12 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 8 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 70 mg
- Potassium
- 883 mg
- Calcium
- 94 mg
- Iron
- 3.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 135 mg
- Phosphorus
- 754 mg
- Zinc
- 3.8 mg
- Vitamin A
- 161 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 71 mg
- Vitamin E
- 1.6 mg
- Vitamin K
- 81 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 1.6 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.08 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.12 mg
- Niacin
- 1.3 mg
- Folate
- 68 mcg
- Water
- 185 g
- Alcohol
- 2 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Pat the sea scallops thoroughly dry with paper towels. Excess moisture will prevent browning. Season both sides with salt and black pepper.
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add the linguine and cook according to package instructions until 3 minutes before al dente (about 7 minutes).
Add the broccoli florets to the pasta water for the final 3 minutes of boiling. Reserve 120ml of starchy pasta water, then drain the pasta and broccoli in a colander.
Heat olive oil and 15g of butter in a large heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat until shimmering. Sear the scallops undisturbed for 1.5 to 2 minutes per side until a deep golden crust forms and the internal temperature reaches 52°C/125°F. Transfer scallops to a plate.
Reduce heat to medium. Add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes to the skillet, sautéing for 30 seconds until fragrant but not browned.
Pour in the dry white wine to deglaze the skillet, using a wooden spoon or tongs to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom. Simmer for 2 minutes until the liquid reduces by half.
Reduce heat to low. Whisk in the remaining 65g of cold butter, lemon juice, and 60ml of the reserved pasta water. Stir continuously until a creamy, emulsified sauce forms.
Add the drained linguine and broccoli to the skillet, tossing vigorously to coat the pasta in the sauce. If the sauce is too thick, add more pasta water 15ml at a time. Divide among plates, top with the seared scallops, and serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Always purchase 'dry' scallops rather than 'wet' ones. Wet scallops are soaked in a sodium tripolyphosphate solution which causes them to retain water, making a proper sear almost impossible.
- Removing the side muscle (a small, rectangular tag of slightly tougher meat on the side of the scallop) is highly recommended as it becomes incredibly chewy when cooked.
- Do not walk away while searing scallops. They overcook very quickly, turning from tender and buttery to rubbery in a matter of seconds past 52°C/125°F.
- The starch in the reserved pasta water is the secret to a glossy, clinging sauce. Never rinse your pasta after draining, as you want to retain that exterior starch.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Store in an airtight container. Scallops degrade in quality quickly.
Reheating: Reheat gently in a skillet over medium-low heat with a splash of water to prevent the butter emulsion from breaking and the scallops from overcooking.
Troubleshooting
Scallops lack a golden crust and look grey or steamed.
Cause: Scallops were too wet, or the pan was overcrowded and not hot enough.
Fix: Cannot be fixed once cooked. Do not continue cooking or they will become rubbery.
Prevention: Thoroughly pat scallops dry with paper towels, ensure the oil is shimmering before adding, and cook in batches if necessary.
Butter sauce is broken and looks greasy.
Cause: Pan was too hot when butter was added, or not enough starchy pasta water was used to hold the emulsion.
Fix: Remove from heat, add a splash of reserved hot pasta water, and whisk vigorously until it comes back together.
Prevention: Lower the heat before adding butter and use cold butter to emulsify slowly.
Cultural Context
While pairing seafood with dairy is classically avoided in strict Italian culinary tradition, regional coastal variations often make exceptions for butter emulsions. Bringing tender sea scallops together with linguine in a bright garlic-butter-wine sauce honors the Italian principle of minimal interference, letting high-quality seafood shine without heavy masking flavors.
