Easy Scallop Scampi

Easy Scallop Scampi is ready in less than 10 minutes. Butter, lemon and garlic make these seared scallops a decadent, elegant meal for company or date nights at home! 

The first time I made this Scallop Scampi recipe was for an at-home date night. A few years ago, my husband and I started marriage counseling. I won’t get into the gory details because we’re fine now, but I definitely recommend counseling if you’re struggling! One of the things our counselor really emphasized was the importance of date night! At least once a month, ideally twice a month. This felt like a lot to me, but once we started doing it, it helped.

Our counselor’s reasoning for prioritizing date night was that when you’re both working high stress jobs, and you’re parents, it’s easy to lose sight of the good reasons why you married each other. You start to see each other as a means to an end, a person to help you get through the day, and not as the individual you loved and married. Date night helps to get you out of your routine and start again to see them as the person you dated and fell in love with. 

I have to admit that while we both recognize the importance of regular date nights, we absolutely suck at scheduling them. We don’t have family in town and our sitters are busy at times with activities or school commitments. Sometimes the act of scheduling a date is literally impossible. When I raised this issue to our counselor, she calmly said, ” Well, what’s keeping you from doing them at home?” 

When she said this, I groaned a little. One of the things I love about date night is that I don’t have to do anything. I don’t have to plan a meal, get groceries, cook or clean up. I mean, I do that for a living, right? I need a break from it sometimes! But, she was right, so we started incorporating at-home date nights into our schedule. 

If we have a date night at home, we mostly keep it super easy. We will put our son to bed a bit early, pop open some wine and spend about 10 minutes cutting up the ingredients for a cheeseboard! We then head out to our screened in porch, turn on music and just hang out for a few hours. 

So, where does this Easy Scallop Scampi come in? I swear, it is the PERFECT date night recipe for the times we do want to spend some time cooking dinner for our date night. It is so stinking easy.  It looks and tastes like an elegant, restaurant-quality meal that takes hardly any effort. It’s ready in about 10 minutes, so that you can make the most of your time together!

So, what should you serve with this Easy Scallop Scampi? I’d recommend these recipes, and I’ve noted if they can be made ahead of time!

• Cranberry Pecan Brussels Sprouts Salad (can be made ahead of time and stored in fridge)
• Sauteed Green Beans with Bacon and Mustard Glaze
• Caramelized Onion and Bacon Mashed Potatoes
• Drunken Mushrooms (Beer Braised Mushrooms)

What is your go-to date night recipe? I’d love to hear! 

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Easy Scallop Scampi

Yield: Serves 2

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

It could not be any easier to make scallops at home! This Scallop Scampie recipe uses simple ingredients. It's perfect for date night!

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Ingredients

• 1 pound sea scallops
• 1 tablespoon olive or avocado oil
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon black pepper

For the sauce:

• 1.5 tablespoons minced garlic (about 4 fresh cloves)
• ⅓ cup dry white wine or chicken broth
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Clean the scallops by removing the small side muscle that looks like a flap. Pat them dry with paper towels. Sprinkle each side of the scallops with salt and pepper.
2. Add oil to sauté pan and heat on high heat. Once the oil is sizzling hot, add the scallops, making sure each has space around it.
3. Sear the scallops for 1.5 minutes per side, turning gently when a golden crust has formed.
4. Remove scallops from pan and allow to rest on a paper-towel lined plate.
5. Reduce the burner heat to low-medium.
6. To the pan, add minced garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds. If you notice the garlic is starting to brown, add the wine immediately.
7. Add the white wine (or broth) and red pepper flakes. bring to a simmer for about 2 minutes, allowing the wine to reduce down.
8. Add butter, lemon juice and parsley and whisk to combine.
9. Remove from heat. Add scallops and carefully spoon the white wine/butter sauce over the top of the scallops.
10. Serve warm.

Nutrition Information

Yield 2 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 476Total Fat 21gSaturated Fat 9gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 11gCholesterol 126mgSodium 2235mgCarbohydrates 18gFiber 1gSugar 1gProtein 48g

The nutrition for this recipe is calculated by an app and may be incorrect.

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