You bet your bottom dollar we’re jumping straight into this seafood stunner.
STUNNER. Like, forget Valentine’s Day, it’s the best date-night-worthy dinner all year round. Or the best kind of self-love. Or just because it’s a Wednesday night and you want to treat yourself in the best way possible: with garlic, pasta, and buttery pan-seared scallops.
No matter the occasion, this creamy garlic pasta paired with beautiful pan-seared scallops is making waves.
A Million Reasons to Love It
If you answer yes to any of the following questions, then this recipe is for you:
- Do you always add 4+ extra garlic cloves in addition to whatever the recipe suggests?
- Will you likely add more garlic even though this recipe calls for 8 cloves?
- Do you live for quality pasta?
- Are your dreams made of garlic cream sauce?
- Do perfectly cooked seared scallops make your heart flutter?
- Have you been searching for the perfect dinner that’s impressive and elegant, yet easy to make and pretty quick on time?
- Do you love to eat delicious food?
Dare I keep going? It’s all of those things and more.
But also, you’ll love that it comes together in 20 minutes. Everything about it is SO perfect, so let’s get cooking.
What You’ll Need to Make Scallop Pasta and Garlic Sauce
The garlic! The sauce! The creaminess! The noodles! Buttery scallops that melt in your mouth and have a perfectly pan-seared golden brown sear exterior!
It’s true, and it all comes together with a few simple ingredients. As always, be sure to see the full recipe card below for amounts and details.
- Spaghetti noodles: you can also substitute any shape of noodles for this recipe, but something that you can twirl in the deliciously creamy sauce is best! Fettuccine or angel hair pasta would be your best second option. Also, using high-quality dried pasta is recommended.
- Sea Scallops: look for ‘dry scallops’ for the freshest flavor and for the best caramelization when pan-searing. Wet scallops are treated with a water solution to preserve them longer and can have a slight taste to them. Keep reading for more info on buying scallops.
- Garlic: a must for garlic pasta! I like to slice it in this recipe for delicious garlicky bites throughout. Just slice them thinly and they’ll have a buttery texture.
- Whole Milk or Half-and-Half: adds creaminess to the pasta sauce.
- Butter: oh yeah, this is the creaminess too. I recommend using unsalted butter so you can salt the sauce to your own preferred saltiness. If you have high-quality butter such as European butter, it’s totally going to level up this recipe!
- All-Purpose Flour: thickens the sauce by creating the roux.
- Parmesan Cheese: you can’t have creamy garlic pasta without parmesan, now can you? I like to use grated cheese or freshly shredded via microplane, because it melts well into the sauce.
What to Look for When Buying Scallops
- Sea Scallops: Make sure you’re purchasing jumbo sea scallops, you don’t want to use bay scallops as they are very small and typically used in soups and stews.
- Dry or Wet? Look for “dry” scallops if you can, as opposed to wet ones. This difference comes down to how the scallops are preserved.
- Wet scallops are preserved in a liquid and can sometimes have more of an aftertaste, and dry scallops are not treated with any solution. This means they’re also much better to pan-sear.
- Fresh or Frozen? You can use either. I tend to prefer fresh scallops, but with a few tips, you can use frozen just as easily!
How to Use Frozen Scallops
You need to thaw the scallops in advance before using them in this recipe, so it does require a little more thought and advance preparation.
For best results, thaw the scallops in the fridge overnight. Rinse before using.
Then, be sure to pat them dry using a paper towel before proceeding with the recipe.
If you forget to thaw them the night before (guilty! it happens to the best of us), you can thaw them the day of by placing the bag of scallops in a bowl of cold water for 20-30 minutes. Rinse them off before using, and again, pat dry.
With the scallops thawed (and patted dry – it’s really important!) you can proceed with the recipe as it is.
How to Make Creamy Garlic Pasta
The first thing to do is bring a large pot of salted water to a boil to cook the pasta. You won’t cook it to al dente though, you’ll cook it just under because the pasta will finish cooking to the perfect tenderness in the sauce.
By cooking it under the recommended cook time, it ensures that the pasta doesn’t become overcooked. While the noodles cook, start on the sauce.
Be sure to reserve 1 cup of pasta water before you drain the noodles!
Creamy Garlic Sauce
Our two key players (garlic and parmesan) showed up and brought their A-game to make the sauce.
- Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat, then add the thinly sliced garlic cloves. There, they get all tender and delish. Be sure to stir and keep the heat somewhat low so the garlic doesn’t burn. Then add in some salt and red pepper flakes for flavor.
- Whisk in some flour to create a roux, and cook it down, being sure to continue whisking so it doesn’t burn. The flour helps our sauce thicken up.
- Deglaze the pan by pouring in vegetable stock (or white wine if you have it!).
- Then stir in the room temperature whole milk. Make sure it’s room temperature or lukewarm so that it doesn’t seize up or curdle.
- Toss the under al dente pasta into the sauce, adding the golden-ticket pasta water as needed for your desired consistency.
- Once it’s tossed a bit, add in the parmesan. Let it melt into the pasta and watch as it totally amps up our creaminess factor.
- Pan-Sear the scallops until they have a perfectly golden brown crust and top the pasta with them. Let’s get to that…
How to Get the Perfect Sear on the Scallops
What are pan-seared scallops? They are large sea scallops that are seared up in a skillet with loads of butter. The butter magically turns into brown butter and helps those luxurious scallops develop a deep golden brown exterior, creating beautiful caramelization and flavor.
Here are a few tips for making pan-seared scallops:
- First, pat the scallops dry and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Patting them dry is a must because if they are too wet, they will not brown.
- Make sure your pan is hot if you want to achieve that seared exterior. There is a fine balance between browning and burning the butter, so do be careful. The scallops should sizzle when you add them to the pan.
- When it’s time to flip the scallops, wiggle them a little, if they’re ready to flip, they will easily come up. If the scallops stick to the pan and you have to force it, wait for about 30 seconds and check again.
- When the scallops are golden brown on each side and translucent, remove them from the heat immediately. They cook quickly!
What to Serve with Scallop Pasta
This creamy garlic pasta can be enjoyed just as is, with yourself and a glass of chilled white wine.
It can be enjoyed with your honey for a romantic candle-lit dinner. Or, if we’re a little more realistic for a Friday night, with the glow of Netflix and the hottest new show starting.
But if you’re looking for actual side dishes to serve with this scallop pasta recipe, then I suggest one of these:
- Roasted broccolini – because broccoli and cream sauce hits differently.
- Green beans – any sauteed variety would be delicious!
- Brussels sprouts – this air fryer recipe makes a quick side, or try them sauteed.
- A light side salad would be a great starting point, too.
Want to skip the extra veggie prep but need some more greens? Wilt a handful of spinach into the pasta when you add the parmesan cheese.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you don’t eat seafood, you can absolutely just omit the scallops from this recipe and serve some roasted broccolini or a salad alongside it. Alternatively, you can saute mushrooms and them to the pasta, too. Or hey, just enjoy the pasta. It’s that good.
If you’re not into scallops specifically, you can use shrimp in their place. You can also prepare a chicken breast and slice it up and put it on top for a little fettuccine alfredo feel if you eat meat.
Absolutely! Whether you can’t get enough or you need to serve more hungry mouths, you can double this recipe.
You can use fettuccini, bucatini, or angel hair in place of the spaghetti in this recipe.
Yes! You can sautee mushrooms, add broccoli, or wilt in spinach or kale.
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating and review in the form below. I appreciate your feedback, and it helps others, too!
Get the Recipe Creamy Garlic Pasta with Pan Seared Scallops
Ingredients
For approximately 2 servings:
- 6-8 ounces high-quality dried spaghetti or fettuccine noodles
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 6-8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste, divided
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Crushed red pepper, to taste
- 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ½ cup vegetable stock, or white wine
- ⅓ cup whole milk, room temperature
- ½ – 1 cup pasta water
- ½ cup grated parmesan, or freshly grated (finely)
- Parsley, to garnish, as desired
- 8 Sea Scallops*, pat dry
- Optional: squeeze of lemon or lemon zest
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta approximately 2 minutes less than the package directions state for al dente pasta. Be sure to reserve approximately 1 cup of pasta water. Drain and set aside.6-8 ounces high-quality dried spaghetti or fettuccine noodles
While the pasta cooks, begin making the sauce and let the scallops come to room temperature. Pat scallops dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper on the tops and bottoms.8 Sea Scallops*
Garlic Cream Sauce
- Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat and add 3 tablespoons butter. Once the butter is melted, add the thinly sliced garlic cloves and let cook for 2-4 minutes until it becomes slightly tender, being careful to not burn them. Add salt, pepper, and a dash of red pepper flakes as desired.6-8 garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Stir in the flour until combined completely and cook for an additional minute, continuing to stir so it doesn't burn.1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
- Whisk in the vegetable stock slowly until combined. Then, whisk in room temperature milk and bring to a low simmer to thicken slightly.½ cup vegetable stock, ⅓ cup whole milk
- Add the just-under al dente noodles to the sauce and stir to combine. Add the pasta water bit by bit and bring to a simmer on low, continuing to add additional pasta water as needed until your desired sauce consistency is reached (I usually add around 1/3-1/2 cup). Stir in parmesan cheese until melted and remove pasta from heat. Don't forget to taste test for salt levels!½ – 1 cup pasta water, ½ cup grated parmesan
Pan-Seared Scallops
- The scallops should have already been pat dry and sprinkled with salt and pepper. As the sauce finishes cooking, heat a smaller stainless steel skillet or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 2 TBSP butter and let melt.
- Once the butter is hot and slightly bubbly, add the prepared scallops "standing up" on the flat edge. Let cook for approximately 1-2 minutes (depending on their size) until a golden crust forms. Flip the scallops (they should easily come up, if not, cook a little longer) and cook for another 1-2 minutes until a golden crust forms and the inside is translucent. Remove from heat and top pasta with scallops.
- Optional: squeeze a lemon on top, or stir in lemon zest, for added brightness to the pasta. Garnish with fresh parsley as desired, and enjoy!
Notes
- Sea Scallops: look for ‘dry scallops’ for the freshest flavor and for the best caramelization when pan-searing. Wet scallops are treated with a water solution to preserve them longer and can have a slight taste to them.
- Frozen Scallops: if using frozen scallops, thaw them the night before in the fridge or according to package directions. Rinse and pat dry before using.
This recipe is part of our Date Night Recipes to Love roundup. Check it out!
This dish is incredible! It’s simple enough for a weeknight dinner, and elegant enough to serve at a dinner party or for a special evening with your special someone. This will be a staple in my pasta rotation for sure!
I’m so happy you enjoyed it! 🙂 It is a special one!
We loved this pasta in our household! It was easy to throw together, and we both loved the creamy garlic taste. This will be one of our go to pasta recipes in the future!
Yay! I’m so glad to hear it’s a new go-to for you! Thanks for commenting!
What a delicious and filling meal! I wish I could give it more than five stars!!
Aw, thank you so much, Sydney! I’m so glad you enjoyed it, it’s definitely one of my favorites (if I had blog recipe favorites… ;)).
Made this for Valentine’s dinner for my family of four…. super easy and absolutely delicious!!
I’m so glad you all enjoyed! Thank you, Sarah!
This dish was simply delicious! A new family favorite. Will definitely be looking for more wonderful recipes to try out for my future cooking endeavors!
I’m so glad to hear, Kimberly! I can’t wait to hear what else you cook up. Thanks for leaving a review!
5 stars for taste and ease of prep! I’m a fan of scallops, and there’s never anything better than garlic with pasta! Slicing the garlic upped the flavor without going overboard. I used a good quality perciatelli pasta adding about 1/2 cup of pasta water to the sauce. This recipe allows for personal variations, add more red pepper flakes, heavier on the black pepper, add more parm, etc. I made plenty, so leftovers!
Sounds amazing, I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it! There truly is nothing better than garlic with pasta. I loved hearing how you adapted it to your liking. Thanks so much for sharing, Theresa!
This tasted amazing! I did make a couple of substitutions since I didn’t have the recommended ingredients on hand but I couldn’t wait to make this immediately! 😀 I used heavy whipping cream instead of whole milk which is probably why my sauce started clumping early, but nothing a little pasta water couldn’t fix. Then I used white wine in place of vegetable stock. I left the scallops unseasoned since that’s just a personal preference. So glad I found your recipe (and blog), I’ll be making these for many days to come!
Hi Jane! Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment, I loved hearing how you were able to adapt the recipe with what you had and your preferences! Also…white wine in place of vegetable stock… highly approve 😉
Made this dish on the fly with a leftover chardonnay… wish I would have had a better choice to cook with but it was still delicious.
Glad to hear you still enjoyed it! Thanks so much, Jodi!
This is a keeper and was delicious! We made it for our Nee Year dinner and I wish I had more. It’s so simple, other than the scallops most all ingredients are pantry items. We didn’t have Lemmon which it only calls for as optional and I was worried without some citrus/acid it might not work – I was way off! As she says the Lemmon is optional and I didn’t miss it or need it. This will be a staple recipe for us now! Few more hours until the new year and this was a great way to start the kick off!
I’m so glad you loved it! Thanks so much, Kyla, and happy new year!
I made homemade pasta and added cherry tomatoes to this incredibly tasty dish. This is now a new favorite for us. I will definitely be making this again!
Yummy! Thanks for sharing, Carly!
We enjoyed this dish a lot and it was so easy to make!
I am so glad to hear! Thanks so much, Jean!
Oh my goodness! This was delicioso!!! Made it a couple nights ago. We don’t eat seafood in our household so I diced up some chicken breast instead. I multiplied the sauce so I had enough to coat the chicken before throwing it on top. It was easy and I LOVE how much garlic is in this dish! Definitely will be making this again!!!
Ok, making extra sauce to throw on top of the chicken was a PRO move. I love it! So glad you still gave it a try without the scallops…the sauce really is where it’s at with all that garlic. Thanks so much for sharing, Gloria!!
Easy and delicious!
Easy and delicious! I added the zest of a grated organic lemon which made it doubly flavorful!
Yummy! So glad you enjoyed! Thanks, Darlena!
This was delicious and so easy. I did use the half & half instead of whole milk and wine instead of vegetable broth because that’s what I had. This is one that I will definitely make again just for myself or my Sunday dinner club…I know they will love it just as much as I did. Very yummy!
I’m so glad to hear! Thanks so much for sharing, Karen!
This recipe was extremely easy to make. I added green onions, a sweet pepper, some serrano pepper, sauteed mushroom, and fresh spinach. And as a side, I added the make it yourself Red Lobster buscuits. Mmmmm, it was an amazing dish!! Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
Yum, I bet all those veggies were so yummy in it! Thanks so much for sharing, Susan, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Hi!! Could you please provide directions for subbing white wine for the vegetable stock? Are there any modification needed to the instructions?
Can’t wait to try this!!!
Hi Steph! Thanks for asking! No modification needed, you can sub the veggie stock for white wine 1:1. Hope you enjoy!
A rich beautiful tasty dish. I tipped a little too much red pepper flakes but it was lovely. I enjoyed every mouthful, as did my husband. A keeper for sure.
I’m so glad to hear you both enjoyed it. Thanks so much for your comment, Marilyn!
This was easy to make and quite tasty
I’m so glad to hear! Thanks, Carol!
My kids hated it. Husband ate it cold and wasn’t even looking forward to it but I had scallops in the fridge that needed to be cooked. I liked it but it reminded me of rice a roni. Won’t be making this again. Sorry my honest opinion.
I’m sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy the recipe. It’s been loved by many so I wish it could’ve been a hit for your family, too.
It’s amazing- made it last night with Penne. Cheers!
Yum! I’m glad you enjoyed! Thanks, Melanie!
Just what I was looking to serve when the kids (and grand kids) come back from skiing. We all love garlic plus and scallops! Planning on adding spinach, cherry tomatoes, and toasted slivered almonds for the delicious crunch. Can’t wait to try it and will report back!
Those additions sound yummy! I hope everyone loves it!
We loved this dish. So easy and tasty. My only “complaint” is it took too many pans!
Hopefully it was worth the dishes 😉 I’m glad you enjoyed! Thanks, Hilda!
My husband really loved this dish, very tasty. I used basil tagliatelle pasta and served with side of broccolni. This will stay in our special dinner folder!
Yummy! I’m so glad to hear! Thanks, Joan!
Amazing recipe! Used half butter and half olive oil. Also substituted skim milk.
My husband And I loved it. Delicious.
I did use white wine and lemon juice. Sprinkled lemon zest on top.
I’m so glad to hear you both loved it! Thanks for sharing, Robin!
This was a birthday/Father’s day dinner served with strawberry spinach salad. My particular husband gave it a thumb’s up.
Awesome! Thanks so much for making and sharing your review, Rachel!
Delicious !!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks, Janet!
It was so good my husband loved it!A great Dinner for company
Thanks ,
I’m so glad to hear! Thanks for your review, Diane!
Tried this, this afternoon and holy smokes! I added some Italian spices to the sauce but other than that followed the recipe and boy was it good! I’ll be making this again (maybe next time I’ll have a little wine for me – a little wine for the recipe 🙂
I’m so happy to hear you loved it! I totally support a little wine for you, and a little wine for the recipe 🙂 Thank you so much for making it and leaving your review, Laurie!
Very good! For my taste next time I will use a tad:
Less garlic
More cheese (has anyone tried locatelli?)
More pasta water
I’m trying this dish now and in the process of putting all together. I’m sure it will be Great. House smells Awesome. Thanks!!!
Awesome, I’m so glad to hear! I hope you enjoy!! Thanks, Eric!
This pasta is very good! I forgot to add cheese and didnt even realize until reading the reviews, the recipe is that good!
Haha what a ringing endorsement! Thanks so much for your review, Alex, I’m glad you enjoyed!!
Excellent recipe and easy to follow. I like that the measurements are mentioned in italics along with the directions.
I had some spinach and mushrooms to use up so I sauteed them ahead of time and added them to warm in the sauce at the end.
This is a keeper
Thanks, Mary Ann! I’m happy to hear you like the feature with the ingredients, thanks for letting me know! It makes it longer but I find it helpful too. Yummy additions – I’m so glad you enjoyed! Thanks again!!
Loved this! I doubled the recipe and love that the quantity of ingredients adjusted automatically when I clicked 2x. But it doesn’t look like the written instructions changed for the butter. I took 10 TBSP out but the written instructions only used 5 TBSP unless I missed a step. It still came out great!
Hi Lucy – so glad to hear you loved it! You’re right, unfortunately the written directions don’t double, just the ingredient list with the 2x button. I’m glad it still worked out; as long as there was enough butter to saute the garlic and then the scallops that’s what matters, and it sounds like there was. Thanks for sharing!