Lent is officially here which means that I get to experiment with a ton of different seafood and fish recipes. I honestly love this time of year because it means that I get to create some of my favorite childhood dishes all the while waiting for Spring to finally arrive. It marks a new beginning and with it new energy. Today I’ve partnered with Clamato to bring you an amazing Lent-friendly seafood recipe. Today we’re making, Pan Seared Scallops with Spanish Style Linguine. We’re going to be making the perfect scallops and pairing them with a pasta that’s in a sauce that’s too delicious to resist!
If you’ve gone to Walmart then you’ll know that Clamato comes in all sizes. Today I’m using the 64oz bottle to create an amazing pasta sauce. If you love my Dominican Spaghetti recipe then you’ll definitely love this one. Think of it, as a close relative to my Dominican Spaghetti.
Now when making scallops, know that less is more! Scallops are fairly pricey but you can always swap them out and use raw shrimp instead. Luckily, scallops are insanely flavorful which is why you don’t really have to do much to them. The key is to cook the scallops perfectly. I personally love the subtle sweetness that you get from fresh scallops. That alone is enough for me to buy them time and time again.
If you’ve never made scallops– fear none. Here are some tips so that you cook scallops perfect each and every single time
- Always pat your scallops dry. The trick to getting the perfect sear is making sure that your scallops are dry
- Heat your pan before adding oil or butter– or both! Allowing your skillet to heat up will make sure that you get maximum heat without burning your oil. A hot skillet is also key in getting the perfect sear on your skillet
- Once you add the scallops– do nothing. Let them do their thing for about 2 minutes before turning over
- Once you flip the scallops over, add butter and braise. Drizzle lemon at the very end for added freshness
Hungry yet? Check out my video on How to Make Pan Seared Scallops with Spanish Style Linguine on my YouTube Channel: Chef Zee Cooks
Ingredients
- 2 cups Clamato
- 1 lb Scallops
- 1 ½ cups Tomato Sauce
- ¼ Green Bell Pepper Diced
- 1 White Onion Diced
- ¼ cup Tomato Paste
- 6 Garlic Cloves Diced
- 2 tbs Cilantro
- ½ tsp Orégano
- ¼ tsp Cumin
- 1-2 Bay Leaves
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 1-2 tbs Unsalted Butter
- ½ lbs Linguine
- ½ Lemon
- Salt to Taste
- Black Pepper to Taste
- Olive Oil
Instructions
- Heat deep sided skillet over medium-low flame and add olive oil. Next add onions, bell peppers, diced garlic, pinch of salt and black pepper. Saute until the veggies have softened up. After 3-5 minutes, add tomato paste and tomato sauce. Let sauce come to a simmer and then add 2 cups of Clamato, cumin, and orégano. Mix everything until it’s well combined. Next, add 2 bay leaves and fresh cilantro. While the sauce is cooking, go ahead and prepare linguine pasta.
- Once linguine pasta has been cooked to al-dente, drain excess water and add pasta to sauce. Carefully fold in pasta and then continue cooking on low heat.
- While pasta is cooking, prepare scallops. First, pat scallops dry and then season with salt and pepper. Be sure to season both sides generously. Next, heat skillet on medium flame. Then add oil. Once hot, carefully add scallops and let sear for 2 minutes. After two minutes, flip over. Now add butter and braise scallops with brown butter sauce. Simply tilt skillet away from you and spoon butter sauce over scallops. At the very end, squeeze fresh lemon juice over top. Serve with linguine and sauce