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    Home » Recipes » Pasta Recipes

    Carbonara with Pan Seared Scallops

    February 9, 2013 by Laureen King

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    Carbonara with Pan Seared Scallops quick and easy to make. Ready in under 30 minutes with perfectly seared scallops and delicious, creamy carbonara pasta. via @artandthekitchCarbonara with Pan Seared Scallops quick and easy to make. Ready in under 30 minutes with perfectly seared scallops and delicious, creamy carbonara pasta. via @artandthekitchCarbonara with Pan Seared Scallops quick and easy to make. Ready in under 30 minutes with perfectly seared scallops and delicious, creamy carbonara pasta. via @artandthekitch
    Carbonara with Pan Seared Scallops is one of my favourite recipes! Ready in under 30 minutes with perfectly seared scallops and delicious carbonara pasta.
    linguine pasta in a creamy carbonara sauce topped with pan seared scallops and green onion slices.
    I finally did it, tackled my fear of cooking scallops. I've been watching "Hells Kitchen" for several seasons now and watching Gordon Ramsay throw countless hysterics over scallops, I stayed away. The few times in my life I did try my scallops were a complete disaster; dry and rubbery. My problem was I always over cooked them for fear of poisoning someone. Time to take up the challenge. This recipe for Carbonara with Pan Seared Scallops is amazing, and is so quick and easy to make!
    linguine pasta in a creamy carbonara sauce topped with pan seared scallops and green onion slices.

    I bought some very large beautiful scallops, looked through countless videos on YouTube and started my cooking adventure. Using good quality non-stick frying pan worked best for searing the scallops.

    linguine pasta in a creamy carbonara sauce topped with pan seared scallops and green onion slices.

    I decided on Pasta Carbonara to pair with my scallops. This is such a quick and simple recipe with  gourmet flavour, an all-time favourite of mine. This entire dish can be whipped up in less than 30 minutes; a gourmet meal that you would be proud to serve to company!

    linguine pasta in a creamy carbonara sauce topped with pan seared scallops and green onion slices.

    linguine pasta in a creamy carbonara sauce topped with pan seared scallops and green onion slices.

    Carbonara with Pan Seared Scallops

    Laureen King
    Perfectly seared scallops served with a quick and simple carbonara pasta.
    4.16 from 222 votes
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    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Total Time 30 mins
    Course Dinner
    Cuisine American
    Servings 4
    Calories 878 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • Ingredients for Scallops
    • 12-16 large scallops 3-4 per person
    • 2 tablespoon olive oil
    • 2 tablespoon butter
    • Salt and Pepper
    • Ingredients for Carbonara
    • 8 slices thick cut bacon diced I try to find bacon with less fat, or cut away excess fat
    • 1 shallot finely sliced
    • 1 clove garlic leave whole
    • 4 green onions
    • 2 egg yolks
    • ½ cup heavy cream
    • 1 cup parmigiano reggiano grated
    • fresh ground pepper
    • 14 oz (400g) pasta of your choice -I used Linguine

    Instructions
     

    • Pasta Carbonara
    • Start cooking pasta in large stainless steel pot.
    • In small bowl mix together cream, egg yolks and ¾ of cheese.
    • In large skillet cook bacon until crisp, add shallots and ½ green onions.
    • Smash down garlic clove a bit, add to bacon. (remove prior to adding pasta)
    • When pasta is finished cooking, drain well, then add to skillet of bacon.
    • Toss well, then transfer to large bowl.
    • Add cream mixture to pasta and combined well. Make sure pasta is still hot in order to cook the eggs and melt the cheese.
    • Arrange pasta on plate, top with seared scallops, add some fresh ground pepper, grated parmesan, and green onions.
    • Perfect Pan Seared Scallops
    • Blot scallops with paper towel to remove any water. Salt and pepper.
    • Heat large non-stick frying pan, add 2 tablespoons olive oil.
    • Make sure frying pan is hot before adding scallops but not smoking.
    • Add scallops leaving plenty of space between. Overcrowding the pan will drop the pan temperature and cause scallops to steam rather than sear. (may have to do in batches)
    • Sear for about 2-4 minutes or when bottom is a nice golden brown. Don't move them around in the pan or you will prevent them from forming that nice brown crust. After a couple of minutes have peek under to see if golden brown.
    • Turn to sear other side. (about 1-3 more minutes)
    • Add 2 tablespoons of butter to pan now.
    • Spoon the melted butter over the scallops as the other side finishes cooking.
    • Transfer to paper towel covered plate.
    • Keep warm in oven, if making in batches.

    Notes

    This recipe tastes best served VERY fresh, so don't let it sit or Scallops and Pasta dry out quickly . Have ALL your ingredients and pots ready to go to make easy work of this.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 878kcalCarbohydrates: 80gProtein: 35gFat: 45gSaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 202mgSodium: 917mgPotassium: 509mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 985IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 359mgIron: 2.3mg
    Keyword scallops, carbonara
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    Step by Step Photo Instructions

    ingredients to make carbonara, red bowls of parmesan cheese, cream, 2 eggs, olive oil, pasta, and chopped up bacon, green onion and shallots.
    This gourmet dish comes together in less than 30 minutes.

    frying pan with pan seared bacon, shallots, garlic and green onions

    Brown bacon, shallots, green onion and garlic.

    measuring cup filled with eggs and cream.
    Stir together cream, parmesan and egg yolks.

    skillet with cooked linguine pasta tossed with bacon and onions

    Stir cooked pasta into bacon, onions and garlic.

    stainless steel mixing bowl filled with linguine, tossed in carbonara sauce

    Toss hot pasta together with cream, cheese, and egg mixture.

    Scallops - Pat dry, sear until golden brown in hot olive oil, turn, add butter, spoon over top as other side cooks.

    three raw scallops on decorative plate

    Three golden brown scallops frying in pan. Be sure to follow me and get my latest recipes on Pinterest, Instagram Facebook and Twitter.
    Enjoy another of my delicious seafood recipe Pasta with Shrimp and White Wine Sauce.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Joanne

      January 09, 2015 at 3:09 pm

      Made this last night and it turned out really good. No problem searing the scallops per your directions. I used a pound of pasta for 4 people but next time I may double the cheese, egg, cream mixture. It was a bit dry. Do you think doubling would be a problem?

      Reply
      • Laureen King

        January 11, 2015 at 12:58 pm

        Hi Joanne, glad you enjoyed the recipe. Doubling the recipe would not be a problem, works well.

        Reply
    2. Chris Hart

      February 06, 2015 at 9:31 pm

      Made this tonight for a "girl's night in". Absolutely first rate! I lightened it up slightly by completely draining the grease from the bacon before adding the onions etc, used half and half instead of cream, and only using 1 tbsp of oil and 1 tbsp of butter for searing the scallops. Perfectly sauced 1/2 pound of linguine. Plenty for 4 of us with salad and dessert. Thanks so much this is a keeper/repeater!

      Reply
      • Laureen King

        February 06, 2015 at 9:40 pm

        Thank you Chris for dropping me a note to let me know you enjoyed the recipe. Great adaptations!

        Reply
    3. Laureen King

      March 10, 2015 at 7:23 am

      terrific Rachel

      Reply
    4. Sue Mc

      March 24, 2015 at 8:04 am

      This looks amazing! I've been making variations of Carbonara, my challenge is keeping the pasta hot to cook the egg mixture. What do you suggest! I have tried heatin all my bowls, I've used a large wok style pan to cook the bacon then transferred in the pasta, but was a bit too hot when I added the egg mixture as it "scrambled"and turned mealy. What is the secret? Can't wait to try this!

      Reply
      • Laureen King

        March 24, 2015 at 9:09 am

        Thanks Sue, I think key thing is to work quickly and keep tossing the pasta after you add the egg mixture. The egg mixture must be added while pasta is still hot, but do not continue to cook on stove top. I am not sure which recipe you have tried in the past, but give mine a try and let me know if you still have problems.

        Reply
    5. Mark G

      March 27, 2015 at 1:08 pm

      Your recipe looks wonderful, will be trying it tonight...Looks similar to some meals I've created "on the fly" but it's nice to have some proportions of the ingredients as a guide. One note, you don't indicate HOW MUCH pasta should be used, I going to go with a pound. You should fix that part of the recipe!

      Thanks!

      Reply
      • Laureen King

        March 27, 2015 at 3:36 pm

        Hey Mark you would use 400 gram box for 4 people

        Reply
        • Mark G

          March 28, 2015 at 11:46 am

          I used a full box of whole wheat thin spaghetti (375g). I agree with another person who posted that it was more "tight" than I would have preferred. A 500g box of pasta would have been worse. Possibly because I used dried parmigiano cheese (thats what I had on hand) and it probably soaked up more of the liquids than fresh would have. Maybe the whole wheat pasta sucked up more liquid than regular would have as well, not sure. In any event, it was delicious. But I would caution people to be careful to not have the recipe come out not creamy enough.

          Reply
          • Laureen King

            March 28, 2015 at 12:26 pm

            Much appreciated Mark, I am actually so bad at measuring my pasta, I tend to always just eye ball it. I have always served to 4, so 400 grams should work great. If you want large servings, doubling the sauce recipe would be great. I have only used fresh grated parmesan, so yes dried would change consistency.

            Reply
    6. Jason Kang

      March 29, 2015 at 9:02 am

      I have to say that these pics are gorgeous and looks delicious!! Love it! 🙂

      Reply
      • Laureen King

        March 29, 2015 at 9:15 am

        Thank you so much Jason.

        Reply
    7. Rachel Page

      May 13, 2015 at 8:57 pm

      Yum! I normally don't add cream to it. Just pancetta, yolks, lot of parmesan cheese and black pepper.

      Reply
    8. Roberta

      February 21, 2016 at 1:28 pm

      I will definitely trying this tonight. Never done scallops before but my husband always loves my pasta. Thanks for the inspiration.

      Reply
      • Laureen King

        February 21, 2016 at 10:06 pm

        Your welcome Roberta, I hope you and your husband enjoy the recipe.

        Reply
    9. Ginnie gibson

      April 02, 2016 at 2:33 pm

      I made this. It turned out awesome. Restaurant quality.

      Reply
      • Laureen King

        April 02, 2016 at 10:02 pm

        That is super Ginnie, thanks for dropping me a note, much appreciated!

        Reply
    10. Laureen King

      April 17, 2016 at 6:58 am

      So glad you enjoyed the recipe Gary, but sorry I don't break my recipes down into nutritional content.

      Reply
    11. Laureen King

      April 17, 2016 at 8:57 pm

      Let me know how you make out, love to hear back, Diana.

      Reply
    12. Diana Cox

      September 24, 2016 at 6:16 am

      Looks delicious!!! My husbands birthday is today and scallops are his favorite. I am cooking this tonight. Thanks so much for the recipe!!

      Reply
      • Laureen King

        September 24, 2016 at 7:46 am

        Hope he enjoys it Diana, Happy Birthday to your husband.

        Reply
    13. Josie

      September 26, 2016 at 10:34 am

      This turned out AMAZING

      Reply
      • Laureen King

        September 26, 2016 at 2:25 pm

        Thank Josie for the comment

        Reply
    14. Stacey

      January 05, 2017 at 7:08 pm

      I substituted spaghetti squash for the pasta to cut out the carbs and it tasted incredible. My boyfriend and I both agreed this recipe is a keeper!

      Reply
      • Laureen King

        January 06, 2017 at 12:32 pm

        HI Stacey, great idea to use the spaghetti squash, I love spaghetti squash!

        Reply
    15. Erika tate

      January 23, 2017 at 7:52 pm

      I made this tonight and it was amazing! Love love

      Reply
      • Laureen King

        January 23, 2017 at 8:24 pm

        Wonderful Erika, so glad you enjoyed the recipe

        Reply
    16. Sarah K.

      March 02, 2017 at 6:13 pm

      Wow!! This carbonara recipe was spectacular! I made this for my parents while I'm visiting them from out of country. My dad is a huge scallop lover and I think ate at least 8 of them. It was my first time tying them and personally didn't love scallops, but they were a hit with everyone else. This carbonara recipe tasted reminiscent of what I've had in Italy and my parents had never tried it. All in all, everyone loved it! Saving for sure.

      Reply
      • Laureen King

        March 02, 2017 at 6:42 pm

        Thank you so much Sarah for the huge compliment. So glad your parents loved it.

        Reply
    17. Shoni

      April 17, 2017 at 7:55 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you for sharing this recipe. Husband loved it, and I got to redeem myself with scallops, thanks to your directions they turned out perfect! Being vegetarian and unable to taste it, I followed the directions as stated changing only an addition of cooked peas and using minced garlic (which I left in the pasta). The scallop-fry stink was worth it, evidently. 🙂

      Reply
      • Laureen King

        April 17, 2017 at 8:14 pm

        Thank you Shoni, how special of you to make this for your Husband. Glad he enjoyed it.

        Reply
    18. Cheri

      June 18, 2017 at 11:02 am

      4 stars
      This was great! I made homemade linguini. Dare I say, though, too much cheese. No complaints, but I would cut back by 1/2 cup (of a good cheese) and add more as needed at the table. Didn't like the green onion on top; switch to parsley. And add more garlic. Was interesting to get it to come all together at the same time but we did! Really, really good! Definitely on my tried and true list!

      Reply
      • Laureen King

        June 22, 2017 at 4:01 pm

        Thanks for the great feedback Cheri, I found the more times I made this the easier it was to have it all come together at the same time. Enjoy!

        Reply
    19. Daryl Munoz

      July 14, 2017 at 2:35 pm

      5 stars
      Made this the other night and it was a hit with the family. Followed your directions for the scallops but cooked them in a cast iron skillet and they came out perfect. Will probably use grilled shrimp next time when the scallops aren't on sale. This is a definite do over, thank you for sharing.

      Reply
      • Laureen King

        July 14, 2017 at 4:05 pm

        Hi Daryl, I've made this with shrimp and also chicken. Family loves it, so glad you enjoyed the recipe.

        Reply
    20. Kristyn

      February 16, 2018 at 6:17 am

      4 stars
      My husband and I made this recipe last night. The scallops came out perfect. (We purchased a 32oz frozen bag - for two people we got 3 meals out of it, but for a family of four a scallop meal could be $$.) We felt the pasta was a bit dry. Your recipe calls for 14oz of pasta, it's possible I used too much linguine (grabbed a handful out of a 16oz box). I feel like I need to double the cream sauce recipe next time. We added a handful of frozen peas to the boiling pasta water, love the color and texture it added to the recipe. Thanks for sharing your recipe - we will definitely make this one again!

      Reply
      • Laureen King

        February 16, 2018 at 7:44 pm

        Hi Kristyn, yes scallops are expensive! I have done this recipe using shrimp. Peas are a great addition! If you like it more saucy definitely double up the sauce ingredients. Thank you for your feedback.

        Reply
    21. Athena

      April 07, 2018 at 5:48 pm

      5 stars
      AMAZING! Thank you for sharing! We loved it!

      Reply
      • Laureen King

        April 15, 2018 at 10:43 am

        Thanks Athena for the comment 🙂

        Reply
    22. Ashley

      May 31, 2018 at 2:58 pm

      5 stars
      I have never lived a recipe enough to leave a comment but wow. I mean wow. This dish I’ve made a dozen times now. I’ve used less cream or less bacon grease, more salt or added chicken. I’ve tweaked it but ultimately the base recipe is heaven. Thank you! This recipe makes me look like an amazing cook!!!

      Reply
      • Laureen King

        June 03, 2018 at 10:17 am

        This is one of my favourite recipes Ashley, so appreciative you took the time to leave a comment

        Reply
    23. Pat

      January 10, 2019 at 4:41 pm

      5 stars
      I just came across this recipe, had all the ingredients so made this for a quick dinner. Wow, fantastic choice. I'll dump all my old Carbonara recipes. This will be my go to from now on.

      Reply
      • Laureen King

        January 10, 2019 at 6:35 pm

        Thank you Pat for taking the time to drop me a comment. So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Tastes great with chicken or shrimp as well.

        Reply
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    1. Food recipe - ArtandtheKitchen: Carbonara with Pan Seared Scallops - Flashmode Arabia - Leading Fashion Agency says:
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    Laureen King

    I am Laureen, creator of Art and the Kitchen. On my blog you will find a collection or amazing recipes from homestyle-comfort food, gourmet and exceptional baking recipes! 

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