This Shrimp and Scallop Pasta is a quick, elegant, and flavorful dinner perfect for date night or an easy midweek meal.
The sweetness of the shellfish works wonderfully with the sauce, which is made simply with a splash of wine, plenty of garlic, butter, parsley, and lemon. Think of this as a Shrimp and Scallop Scampi. Seafood pasta with plenty of garlic! What is not to love?
You can use large scallops or the smaller bay scallops in this recipe and pick a long pasta noodle to work well with the light coating of sauce. On the table in less than 30 minutes, this is a dinner to impress!
About Shrimp and Scallop Pasta
Everyone loves shrimp scampi .... because it's delicious! But when you add tender, juicy scallops into the dish, you elevate it to outstanding!
In this recipe, the scallops and shrimp are seared in a hot frying pan until just cooked; then, an effortless sauce is made in the same pan. Garlic, butter, parsley, lemon, and a hint of heat from red pepper flakes are mixed with a bit of pasta cooking water. This creates a beautiful emulsion full of flavor! Add the pasta back in and once everything is coated, serve with the seared seafood for a dinner that is sure to impress.
Cooking scallops
The perfect seared scallop should have a crisp golden crust and soft and tender in the center. Overcooked scallops will be tough or rubbery!
Below you will find my tips for perfectly seared scallops. You can read more about that in this post, "How to Perfectly Pan Sear Scallops."
When cooking scallops, I always do it the same way; it is a method I learned from Gorden Ramsey. He is a fantastic chef, and I would never dare argue with him! (I mean, would you??) But more than that, this method is my go-to because it works and gives perfectly cooked scallops every time.
So my top tips:
- Always start with very dry scallops - pat them dry with kitchen paper before you try to cook them.
- Use a heavy-based frying pan and make sure it is hot before adding the oil or the seafood.
- Only add salt to the scallops just before you add them to the frying pan.
- Add the scallops to the pan in an ordered pattern. I use an imaginary clockface and work clockwise. This reduces the risk of overcooking your scallops as you can turn them in the order you added them.
- When you first add the scallops to the pan, don't touch them; allow them to cook for 90 seconds to form a golden crust.
Recipe Tips
We've tested this recipe at least 3 times to ensure it works well for you. Have a look at our tips for getting the best dish you can!
- Use peeled and deveined shrimp to make it a more appealing dish to eat.
- The recipe is written for four people, and each serving contains four shrimp and three scallops. Feel free to reduce or increase the number of scallops and or shrimp according to budget or availability.
- If you have frozen seafood, ensure it is fully defrosted and dry before you start to cook it. (see above for more tips with the scallops)
- With fresh seafood, make sure it is dry before you start cooking.
- Put the water for the pasta on to boil first. This is a quick dish and getting the pasta water to boiling is the longest stage. (to speed up this step, use an electric kettle if you have one)
- Salt the pasta cooking water generously. You need 1 tablespoon of salt for a quart of water, which is enough for a pound of pasta!
- Before you drain your pasta, use a large measuring cup to take out at least 1 ½ cups of the cooking water. It will help you to get the perfect sauce.
- Have your garlic minced, parsley chopped, and lemon zest grated before you start cooking the seafood. The sauce comes together quickly, so you want to be prepared. I do this while the water is coming to a boil.
Why You'll Love this Shrimp and Scallop Pasta
- It's an elegant restaurant-style dish that you can make at home.
- It is easy to make.
- You can learn how to cook scallops perfectly.
- It is ready in under 30 minutes.
- It makes a great date night dinner or dinner party main course.
- It tastes AMAZING!
Recipe Adaptations
These are all just suggestions and things that have worked in our test kitchen, but it is your dinner, so adapt it to suit your family. That is the beauty of cooking; we can all create our own delicious meals.
- As mentioned above, each serving of this shrimp scallop scampi contains four shrimp and three scallops. But you can swap this about as needed. I have made it with just scallops and also with extra prawns and smaller bay scallops.
- You could add extra seafood to this pasta. Squid rings would be delicious, as would some clams or mussels.
- Try adding some veg into the pasta. Fresh spinach, asparagus, or some roasted cherry tomatoes, would all be delicious.
- Long pasta works best with the garlic butter sauce, but this would also work with a farfalle (butterfly/bowtie pasta) or rotini. Avoid pasta shapes with holes in them, like penne and or rigatoni.
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Serving Suggestions
Wine pairing with Shrimp and Scallop Pasta
Garlic pasta loves crisp citrussy whites like Sauvignon Blanc, Fiano, Verdejo, or a Vermentino. These will also pair well with the sweetness of the seafood. A dry bottle of bubbles like a prosecco or dry cava would be great too. You want the freshness, so don't go for anything too aged or woody. Oh, and avoid anything oaked. It makes the garlic taste metallic and dulls the sweetness of the seafood.
We would probably suggest picking a white wine here, especially as you need a little for the sauce. But if you are a die-hard red lover, then a very light red could work. Think a red Sancerre, a Beaujolais or a Grenache.
Sides for Shrimp and Scallop Pasta
This Shrimp Scallop Scampi would be perfect served with a simple green salad with a simple dressing or add some veg with some garlic green beans or some roasted broccoli. A simple tomato salad would also be delicious!
Enjoy x
More delicious seafood pasta dishes
If you try this Shrimp and Scallop Pasta, please leave a 🌟star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I really appreciate it, and it helps others to know that the recipe is trustworthy.
Any questions about the recipe? Use the comments section below.
Get the Recipe
Shrimp and Scallop Pasta
Ingredients
- 12 oz long pasta (see note 1)
- 1 tablespoon salt
For the scallops
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 12 raw sea scallops (see note 2)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the shrimp
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 16 jumbo shrimp raw, peeled, and deveined (see note 2)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the sauce
- ¼ cup white wine (see note 3)
- ¼ cup broth chicken, fish or vegetable
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 6 cloves garlic minced (see note 4)
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
- grated zest of ½ lemon
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- pinch red pepper flakes optional
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pan of water to a boil. Add the salt and cook the pasta for 1 minute less than the packet instructions.1 tablespoon salt12 oz long pasta
- Once cooked, reserve 1 ½ cups of the pasta cooking liquid and drain the pasta.
- Once the pasta is in the water, start the seafood.
- Ensure the scallops and shrimp are dry by patting them with a paper towel to remove any moisture. Then leave them to sit on a sheet of paper towel.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet/frying pan over medium-high heat.2 tablespoons olive oil
- Season the scallops with salt. Then carefully and quickly add the scallops to the frying pan. Do them individually, starting at 12 o'clock and working around the outside of the pan.12 raw sea scallops¼ teaspoon salt
- Cook the scallops for 90 seconds on one side, then flip the scallops and cook for a further 60 seconds. Remove from the pan.
- Add the oil to the same frying pan/skillet.2 tablespoon olive oil
- Season the shrimp with salt, then add to the frying pan and cook for 2 minutes, then turn and cook for a further 2 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set them aside.16 jumbo shrimp¼ teaspoon salt
- Pour the wine and broth into the pan and allow to bubble for 30 seconds, scraping the bottom of the frying pan.¼ cup broth¼ cup white wine
- Reduce the heat to low and melt the butter. Add in the minced garlic, cooking for 3 minutes, until fragrant but not colored.4 tablespoons butter6 cloves garlic
- Add the chopped parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Stir well and bring to a simmer.½ cup chopped fresh parsleygrated zest of ½ lemon¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepperpinch red pepper flakes
- Add the drained pasta, add ½ cup/125ml of the reserved pasta water and keep stirring until the pasta has absorbed the sauce. (about 1-2 minutes) I find tongs work well for this as they can lift and turn the pasta quickly.
- Add more pasta water if needed, until the pasta is cooked perfectly and coated in the butter sauce.
- Add the cooked seafood, toss gently over medium heat for 30 seconds, taste for seasoning (it will probably need salt) and serve immediately.salt
Notes
- Long pasta works best with the garlic butter sauce, so I would suggest using linguine, spaghetti, or tagliatelle. But this would also work with a farfalle (butterfly/bowtie pasta) or rotini. Avoid pasta shapes with holes in them, like penne and or rigatoni.
- The recipe is written for four people, and each serving contains four shrimp and three scallops. Feel free to reduce or increase the number of scallops and or shrimp according to budget or availability. If you have frozen seafood, ensure it is fully defrosted and dry before you start to cook it. (see above for more tips with the scallops) With fresh seafood, make sure it is dry before you start cooking.
- If you don't consume alcohol, you can switch the wine out for broth/stock.
- 6 cloves give the sauce a nice garlic flavor without being too strong. But as with every recipe I write, I encourage you to measure garlic with your heart. So feel free to add more (or less).
Nutrition
Nutrition is per serving
Dwight says
Love it, I used bacon wrapped scallops and it was delicious
Anthony Debenedictis says
Made this tonight and enjoyed it. I was out of linguini so I used fettuccine. I modified it like all cooks. Little less garlic. Through in some parmasean at the end and tossed it to melt. Some garlic bread and broccoli. It was perfect.
Claire | Sprinkles and Sprouts says
So happy you enjoyed it Anthony 🙂
Cx
Catherine Vandecasteele says
Just made this.
The sauce (juice) was very "weak".
Leslie says
This was Fantastic!! 5 Stars!
Justine says
Hi, I'm making this today, it sounds delicious!!! I want to add asparagus and blistered cherry tomatoes. should I roast the asparagus with the tomatoes?? Thanks!
Claire | Sprinkles and Sprouts says
I think roasting the asparagus would add a great flavor 🙂
Hope you enjoy it.
Cx
Melanie says
I just made it and I added thin chopped asparagus at the time right before adding the garlic and sautéed them for 4 minutes or so before adding the garlic and then finished the same. Absolutely delicious.
Claire | Sprinkles and Sprouts says
So happy you enjoyed it.
Asparagus is such a wonderful addition 🙂
Cx
Tom Galvin says
Thanks for putting the ingredients under the steps!
Wish more recipes were written like this.
Going to make tonight.
Lisa says
Yes! This makes things SOOO much easier! Keep you from having to scroll back to the recipe to see how much of an ingredient is needed for a particular step!
debbie says
This was wonderful! Thanks so much for sharing! I served mine with a fresh homemade marinara & garlic bread! It was amazing! Will be making it again! 🤤😍
Whit says
If you like sauce, I would double the sauce recipe, not enough for a pound of noodles
Jen says
Husband loved it! Added asparagus, used only a teaspoon of garlic and topped with
shaved Parm. Thank you!
Mary says
Wow delicious and easy. Plenty for leftover. The only change I did was use bottled clam juice, and some pasta water as well. My husband likes extra sauce. Thank you for a great recipe I’ll be using again.
Claire | Sprinkles and Sprouts says
Bottled clam juice sounds like a great addition!!!
So happy you loved the recipe 🙂
Cx
Lorie R Myers says
How much clam sauce did you use. Sounds good
Jay says
Just prepared and served this meal. The slight tartness of the lemon butter compliments the savory sweetness of the scallops perfectly. I think I left the shrimp in the pan a minute or two too long and they were a bit tough and flavorless. That's user error though. Should have watched them a bit closer. I used a little extra butter because I like it a bit thicker to coat the pasta but it really is an easy and delicious option for our Sunday Dinner.
joanne merrell says
the reason I was attracted to this recipe is because of your photo. You look like a REAL person and not some pinup girl someone is just posting a picture of with their recipe to attract people.
And by the way, The recipe is wonderful. I added a little cayenne pepper for an added smile to the dish.
jo
Claire | Sprinkles and Sprouts says
Thank you Jo,
Definitely a real person who loves food 😉
So happy you loved the pasta, it is a fav of mine!
Cx
J.G. says
I don't usually follow recipes but this one was fast, easy and delicious. The shrimp and scallops came out juicy, tender and tasty. Enjoyed by everyone, definitely a keeper.
Allyssa says
Thanks a lot for this amazing and super easy to make shrimp scallop pasta recipe! It's really tasty and very flavorful! Will surely have this again! Highly recommended!
Colleen says
This was a delicious dinner and so quick and easy! It was such a hit and I'll be making it again. Thanks for all the great tips, as well.
Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer says
Mmmm yes please! Now, THIS is my type of pasta dish! I love shrimp and scallops and this recipe does not disappoint! Highly recommend!
LaKita says
This shrimp and scallop pasta is so hearty, flavorful, and delicious! The perfect combination of ingredients in one dish!
Jill says
Turned out great! Quick and easy meal. The only thing I would change next time is reducing the lemon juice by half and substitute the red pepper flakes with garlic powder.
Claire McEwen says
So pleased you enjoyed it 🙂
And great to adapt it to suit your tastes!
Cx
PETER LOFTHOUSE says
Hi...haven't made this yet, but are steps 10 and 11 reversed?
Claire McEwen says
Hi Peter,
I like to add the wine first to deglaze the pan and then simmer the garlic with the wine and butter. If find the garlic is more mellow and flavours the same better. But you can fry off the garlic first and then add the wine if you prefer 🙂
Cx
Chenée says
I love shrimp scampi but the addition of scallops here makes it even better! It was amazing!
Farrukh Aziz says
This recipe was perfect, thanks!
Gwynn says
My guests were impressed when I served this recipe. Easy to make and so delicious, this recipe is perfect for entertaining!
Claire McEwen says
Oh I am so pleased Gwynn 🙂
Cx
Moop Brown says
This pasta recipe looks incredibly good and I appreciate the helpful tips you provided as well.
Kayla DiMaggio says
Loving this shrimp and scallop pasta! So easy and delicious to make!
Linda says
I love the simplicity of this dish. So easy to make, delicious, and perfect for weeknights dinner