Recipe: Lemon and garlic pasta with pan-seared scallops

Want to elevate your dinner game? This rich, flavorful pasta brings together the flavors of lemon and garlic and pairs them perfectly with sea scallops. The result? A savory meal that feels (and tastes) decadent without much work.

Serves 4.

Ingredients

• 1 large lemon, grated for zest and squeezed for 2 tablespoons juice
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced or pressed (about 3 cloves)
• 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
• 1 pound large sea scallops
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 8 ounces very thin spaghetti (vermicelli or angel hair)
• 2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Boil water to cook pasta.
2. Place lemon peel and juice in a small saucepan.
3. Add the garlic and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Stir to blend well. Place on stovetop on low heat.
4. Heat a large nonstick pan or grill pan until very hot. Sprinkle the scallops with salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Toss to coat well.
5. Place the scallops in the hot pan. Cook about 4 minutes on each side, or until scallops are well browned, firm and milky white to the center.
6. After turning the scallops, drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook according to package directions.
7. When the pasta is done, set aside ½ cup of the cooking water. Drain the pasta, return it to the pot and toss with the warm olive oil mixture and the reserved pasta water.
8. Plate the pasta and top with scallops.
9. Garnish each dish with ½ tablespoon of Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Nutrition per serving: 376 calories, 9 g fat, 48 mg cholesterol, 429 mg sodium, 43 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 28 g protein.

Source: nutrition.gov

This recipe was republished from The Circle magazine, a monthly publication of Geisinger’s Silver Circle program. Subscribe now.

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