Scallops Carbonara

Recently we tried our hand at making pan seared scallops and they were a-m-a-z-i-n-g! So, we thought why not combine them with one of our favorite foods to make – pasta. Scallops are tender and have a fairly delicate flavor that goes really well with the rich ingredients in Carbonara sauce, and that is what we ended up with – a delicious Scallops Carbonara!

The recipe can be found here.

Andrew and I both love to cook, which really helped with this dish. One of us could work on the pasta while the other focused on the scallops. I made the pasta. To start, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta until done. While the pasta is cooking, work on the sauce.

Mix together the cream, eggs, and Parmesan cheese, and set aside. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and cook the bacon until crisp. Add the shallots and green onion. Crush the garlic to open it up but don’t mince it. Add it to the pan and heat while the shallots and green onion cooks. Then remove the garlic from the pan.

Drain the pasta and add the noodles to the pan. Toss to combine.

Add the sauce mixture to the pan and toss again. Make sure the noodles are hot enough to cook the egg and melt the cheese in the sauce.

Andrew made the scallops. Make sure your scallops are completely thawed then start by drying each scallop with a paper towel to remove any excess liquid. Season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large fry pan. You want the oil to be hot but not smoking.

Add the scallops, leaving space in between each one. You only want to put about 3-5 scallops in the pan at a time, so you will have to cook in batches.

Sear the scallops for about 2-4 minutes or until the bottoms are golden brown. Turn to sear the other side, cooking for about 1-3 minutes or until the other side is golden brown. Add 2 Tbsp of butter to the pan and once melted, spoon over the top of the scallops as they finish cooking.

Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm while the other batches cook.

Once ready to assemble, place a generous portion of the pasta onto a place (I say generous because I love pasta). Top with 3-4 scallops and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Then sprinkle with more Parmesan cheese. What can I say, I love cheese! And think it really adds to the rich taste of this dish.