This Scallops with Caper Shallot sauce recipe is a decadent seafood dish that will make you feel like you’re dining out at a white-tablecloth Italian restaurant.

One of the best parts of this recipe is how easy it is to make and most of the ingredients you probably already have in your pantry and fridge.

How to Defrost Scallops

There are two ways to defrost your bag of frozen scallops from Amazon.

The first is to place the bag of scallops, if you’re choosing to use that many, or simply take out a handful, (however many you plan to eat) and place in a bag in the fridge the night before. This will allow the scallops to defrost slowly.

You can also thaw them in the microwave if you forgot to put them in the fridge the night before. They should fully defrosted in the microwave after about 5 minutes. After taking them out of the microwave, you can let them sit out while I made the rest of the meal for about half an hour.

Either defrosting method will work. It just depends on if you decided the night before if you wanted to make this dish.

How Do I Cook Scallops?

Scallops seem more difficult to cook than they actually are. All you need is: scallops, oil, seasonings and a hardy frying pan.

Cooking up your scallops separately is not necessary but will make them crispier. Leave room in your pan like I did.

A key element of sautéing and searing down scallops (or any meat, for that matter) is you want it to be as dry as possible before it hits the pan. This means you’ll have to dry it with paper towels and then season with whatever you see fit. This recipe just calls for salt and pepper, but you can use whatever seasonings you’d like. If you season with salt too early and let your protein set out, the salt will actually draw the water out of the meat and not only will it become impossible to dry, but your dish will be tough after it’s cooked. To avoid this common downfall, season just before your scallops hit the pan.

Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in your pan and heat over medium-high heat. Season your scallops as the pan is heating and then add them to the pan. Be sure not to crowd the pan, so you might have to sautée your protein in two batches.

When are Scallops cooked?

After you add the scallops to the pan, let sear for about two minutes per side. Let them cook and try not to touch them (even if it’s super tempting!). After they sear and turn a golden brown, turn them onto their uncooked side and continue searing for another two minutes. If the scallop does not release easily from the pan, allow it to continue cooking for about 30 more seconds.

Four minutes is all the time the scallops should need. They should be firm to the touch but still “springy” in the middle. Cut into one if you’re unsure if they are cooked correctly. The middle of the scallop should be opaque and there should be a white ring around the outside of the scallop.

Scallops with Caper Shallot Sauce Recipe

What Kind of Noodles?

For this dish, it doesn’t much matter what kind of noodle you choose to complement the scallops. My favorite is plain ol’ spaghetti but you can use any kind you like.

When making your pasta, make sure to cook it to just al dente or even a minute or two under. You will be adding it back into the sauce where it will continue to cook for another minute or two.

Should I Make the Caper Shallot Sauce Before or After the Scallops?

For this recipe, I made the scallops last after making the pasta and the sauce, but you can also make this recipe in reverse (and save yourself cleaning a pan). If you make the scallops last, they will remain hot for serving but if you make them first, you will be able to use the pan you made them in for the pan sauce. It’s personal preference in which order you prefer to make this dish- you really can’t go wrong!

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