Bay Scallops and Linguine

I was in the market the other day and saw bay scallops in the seafood case.  I usually buy sea scallops when making a meal, because they are much larger, so I thought I would give these a try.  I am glad I did, they were fantastic!  I made a garlic sauce with a shot of fresh lemon and fresh parsley to flavor it up a bit.  To my surprise the family loved it!  I will be making this one again.

Recipe below.  To print recipe, click on it, highlight and print.

Scallops are somewhat wet when you buy them, to dry them out a little I spread them out on a few layers of papers towels.

 I used 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter in a cast iron frying pan to pan sear them.

All bouncing around in the pan and browning up.

A few things to flavor up my sauce.

Scallops tossed together with linguine, a shot of fresh lemon juice, zest of the lemon and fresh parsley right before serving gives it great flavor.  This dish is heaven in a bowl!

There is only one way to make this dish better, fresh grated Parmegiano  - Reggiano cheese.  I added a salad so we would have some veggies with our meal- Iceberg lettuce wedges, campari tomatoes, English cucumber, chopped bacon and ranch dressing.

Bay Scallops with Linguine

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

2 lbs bay scallops

1 lb. linguine

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

6 cloves minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper, more if you like heat

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1/2 lemon and zest from the lemon

Directions

Start a pot of salted water on high heat for the pasta. Spread the scallops out over a few layers of paper towels to absorb any excess moisture.  In a large skillet over medium -high heat, add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the butter.  When butter has melted, add the scallops and cook until all are browned about 3-4 minutes. Transfer to plate.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the 1/3 cup of olive oil, garlic, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon of parsley.  Cook until the garlic is fragrant but not brown, be careful not to burn it.  Remove from heat.

Add the pasta to the water when it boils and cook to your liking, I like mine al dente.  When pasta is ready, drain, pour back into the pot, add the scallops, garlic oil, the remainder of parsley and squeeze the 1/2 of lemon and sprinkle zest over the top.  Toss together and transfer to a serving bowl. Serve with grated Parmegiano - Reggiano cheese. Makes 8 servings.