Lemon Caper Pasta and Seared Scallops
Updated Jul 19, 2025, Published on Sep 13, 2021
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This Lemon Caper Pasta and Seared Scallops is bright, buttery, and surprisingly simple to make. Juicy seared scallops sit on top of pasta tossed in a lemony white wine sauce with garlic, capers, and fresh parsley. It’s elegant enough for date night but easy enough for a weeknight dinner.
Looking for more recipes featuring scallops? Try out this Burst Tomato Pasta with Seared Scallops or Scallop Scampi Pasta!
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Lemon Caper Pasta and Seared Scallops
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Avocado Oil
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 8 oz Scallops
- 2 tablespoon Butter, divided
- 4 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup White Wine, use a dry white wine
- 2 tablespoon Capers
- 1 Lemon, zest and juice; divided
- 1/4 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- 1/2 cup Chicken Broth
- 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- 8 oz Angel Hair Pasta
- 1/2 cup Fresh Parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. While the water heats, pat the scallops dry and season both sides generously with salt and pepper.
- Heat avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear scallops for 2 to 3 minutes per side. After flipping, add 1 tablespoon of butter and spoon it over the scallops as they finish cooking for another 2 minutes. Transfer scallops to a plate and set aside.
- Lower the heat to medium and add minced garlic to the skillet. Sauté for 30 seconds, then pour in the white wine and deglaze the pan, scraping up any brown bits.
- Stir in capers, lemon zest, half of the lemon juice, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, chicken broth, and Dijon mustard. Let the sauce boil for 8 minutes. While the sauce simmers, cook your pasta in the boiling water until al dente.
- Transfer the cooked pasta directly into the sauce along with a splash of pasta water. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter, the rest of the lemon juice, and fresh parsley. Toss to coat and serve with the seared scallops on top.
Video
@carolbeecooks Angel Hair with Lemon Caper Sauce and Scallops #pasta #scallops #easyrecipe #easypastarecipe #cooking #lemon
♬ Dreamy - Instrumental - Zachary Bynum
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
So tasty and quick. I’ve always been a little intimidated cooking scallops, but this one turned out great! Will definitely make again