Citrus-Butter Sea Scallops with Meyer Lemon Trenette
Serving Size: 2-3
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 15 Minutes
Total Time: 25 Minutes
Ingredients:
1 lb. Pappardelle’s Meyer Lemon Trenette
1 lb. sea scallops (about 12), patted dry
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
8 Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
1 lemon, thinly sliced, seeds removed
¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, plus more for serving
Salt & pepper, to taste
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. fish sauce
½ large head of fennel, fronds reserved for serving, cored, thinly sliced
Instructions:
- Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 8-10 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta water, & set aside.
- Meanwhile, season scallops with salt & pepper, to taste. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Cook scallops until well browned underneath, about 3 minutes. Turn scallops over and cook until just cooked through, about 1 minute. Transfer to a plate and arrange browned side up.
- Melt 4 Tbsp. butter in same pan over medium heat. Add lemon and crushed red pepper flakes. Season with salt & pepper, to taste. Cook, stirring often, until lemon slices are softened, about 2 minutes. Add lemon juice and fish sauce and cook, stirring constantly and scraping up browned bits stuck to bottom of pan, until mixture is loosened and combined, about 30 seconds.
- Gradually stream in ¾ cup pasta cooking liquid, stirring constantly, and cook, still stirring, until well combined, about 2 minutes. Add remaining 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter. Cook, stirring, until combined. Remove sauce from heat. Add pasta and fennel. Toss to coat.
- Divide pasta into dishes and set scallops, browned side up, on top. Scatter fennel fronds over and sprinkle with red pepper flakes. Serve and enjoy!