Take-out Tuesday, Scallops with Creamy Bacon Pasta

the Painted Apron

4 years ago

This recipe is grand enough for a special dinner

yet easy enough to make any night!

The bacon cream is a simple sauce and the

scallops are seared in a skillet on the stove

HHjr was cooking up a storm last week while we were at the beach,

so I just followed him around with my camera 📸

😋

He got the pasta going while he made the sauce

{You want to have the sauce and pasta ready

so you can top it with the scallops

as soon as they’re cooked}

Cook the bacon and then saute the onion

in the bacon drippings

When the onion is cooked,

stir in garlic and deglaze the pan with white wine

Add bacon pieces and cream

and let the sauce simmer gently

Pat the scallops dry with paper towels and season

The scallops need to be very dry

so they will sear and not steam

Heat olive oil in a heavy duty skillet over medium high heat

until it is almost smoking hot

Lay the scallops into the pan and do not disturb for 2 minutes

Add butter to pan as scallops are cooking

Cook for another 2 minutes until scallops are golden on the other side

Combine the drained pasta with sauce and place scallops on top

Garnish with bacon and Parmesan cheese

Note:

It is very important to source your scallops and shrimp, buy seafood from a reliable source and ask about where it came from. My friend Dorothy from The New Vintage Kitchen shares excellent tips on scallops here

Will Cook for Smiles also has some helpful tips on buying and searing scallops

This recipe is adapted from Sprinkles and Sprouts

Scallops with Creamy Bacon Pasta

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword creamy bacon pasta sauce, elegant dinner, scallops, seafood pasta

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Servings 3

Ingredients

12 fresh scallops, preferably New England Bay scallops
8 oz linguini or spaghetti
6 slices bacon
1/2 large sweet onion
1/3 cup chardonnay
3/4 cup heavy cream
3 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1 clove garlic minced
finely grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and keep warm
While pasta is cooking, fry bacon until crisp. Drain and tear into small pieces
Chop onion and add it to the rendered bacon fat in skillet and cook over medium heat until softened. Add garlic and cook 1 more minute. Deglaze the pan with chardonnay and cook until the liquid has reduced by half
Reduce heat to low and stir in cream. Add half of the bacon pieces, reserving the rest for garnishing, and let the sauce gently simmer while you sear the scallops
Pat scallops dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper
Heat olive oil in a heavy duty skillet on medium high heat until very hot. Lay scallops in skillet and let cook undisturbed for 2 minutes. Add butter to skillet as scallops are cooking. Turn scallops over and cook for 2 minutes on the other side. Both sides should be golden.
Toss pasta with sauce, top with scallops and garnish with reserved bacon and Parmesan cheese