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Creamy Mozzarella Scallop Pasta is one of the best pasta recipes you'll ever try! Finger-licking good, easy-to-make, and your scallops will have the perfect texture!
My favorite way to cook scallops is to sear them in olive oil or butter on the stovetop in the skillet. What you get are beautifully pan-seared scallops with a golden crust and a soft texture. This is exactly what I've done in this scallop pasta recipe. I seared the scallops to perfection and served them with pasta.
Scallops always go really well with a cream sauce so I combined my favorite cream sauce (made with Mozzarella cheese, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, and red pepper flakes) with scallops and penne pasta! This scallop pasta makes a delicious weeknight dinner that's easy to make but looks like a dish from a high-end restaurant!
If you love seafood, I have 2 other scallop recipes that you might want to try: seared scallops with bacon in lemon butter sauce and seared scallops with lemon-caper sauce.
Is it best to use frozen or thawed scallops?
I found that it doesn't matter. If you find fresh scallops - it's great, they are delicious! But I've used frozen scallops so many times and they taste so good, I now almost always use frozen ones. Just be sure to thaw them properly.
How to prepare scallops:
- If using frozen scallops, make sure the scallops are thawed completely. I thaw them overnight in the refrigerator.
- Blot each scallop with paper towels to remove extra water.
- Bring scallops to room temperature before cooking, by allowing them to sit on a plate on the counter for 30 minutes before cooking. In this pasta dish, I cook scallops last (after making the pasta and the sauce).
How to cook scallops:
- Season with salt by sprinkling each scallop with a dash of salt.
- Use a large, non-stick skillet (I used stainless steel skillet which works well for me as non-stick). Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in this non-stick skillet on high heat until hot but not smoking. Oil should not be smoking, just rolling easily around the skillet.
- Add scallops without overcrowding the pan.
- Sear on one side for about 3-4 minutes until the bottom is a nice golden color. Don't move the scallops around the pan in the beginning.
- Turn the scallops to the other side and cook for 2 more minutes.
- Remove from heat and transfer the scallops to the plate immediately. Don't let the scallops sit in the hot skillet, off heat, because they will start to steam, lose their crust and harden up.
Cooking Tips
- Don't cook the scallops first. Cook them last. Note that I cook the pasta and the cream sauce first before I cook the scallops. This ensures that scallops are not over-cooked and that they don't taste rubbery (which often happens if you overcook them).
- And that's the rule you should follow not only when you're serving scallop pasta. Whenever you cook scallops in general, cook all the side dishes first. Cook the scallops last, right before you're ready to serve.
What to serve with scallops?
In this recipe, I combine pan-seared scallops with the creamy pasta to create a completely different scallop recipe from the ones I published previously. This recipe is all about the scallops and the creamy pasta made with the Mozzarella cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, basil, and red pepper flakes.
I use penne pasta that goes great with scallops. Penne is a short pasta, so the cream sauce coats every bite. You can also use spaghetti, fettuccine, or angel hair pasta.
If you want something other than pasta, seared scallops go great with mashed potatoes, rice, roasted asparagus, and other roasted veggies.
I hope you will enjoy this delicious scallop pasta!
Creamy Mozzarella Scallop Pasta
Ingredients
Pasta
- 8 oz penne pasta (for gluten free version, use gluten free brown rice pasta)
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 oz sun-dried tomatoes , without oil
- 4 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 cup half-and-half
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese , shredded (do not use fresh Mozzarella, use pre-shredded Mozzarella)
- 1 tablespoon dried basil , if using fresh basil you can add more
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes , crushed, add more to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon paprika
- ½ cup reserved cooked pasta water or more
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Scallops
- 1 pound scallops , medium size, about 12-14 scallops, thawed completely if frozen
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
Prepare scallops:
- If using frozen scallops, make sure the scallops are thawed completely.
- Blot each scallop with paper towels to remove extra water. Set them aside on a plate while you prepare the pasta and the sauce. You will cook scallops last to make sure they are not over-cooked.
Pasta:
- Cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve some cooked pasta water. Drain the pasta.
Sauce:
- Note: if using sun-dried tomatoes in oil (in a jar), make sure to drain sun-dried tomatoes from oil, before using them.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil (you can use the reserved olive oil from the sun-dried tomatoes jar, or use regular olive oil) in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add sun-dried tomatoes (drained from oil and sliced into smaller chunks, if needed) and minced garlic, and saute on medium heat, stirring, for 2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant. The skillet should be hot.
- Add half and half to the hot skillet with sun-dried tomatoes and bring to boil. Add shredded cheese to the skillet, and stir in while boiling. Immediately reduce to simmer and cook, constantly stirring, until all the cheese melts and the creamy sauce forms. If the sauce is too thick, add a small amount of half and half or reserved cooked pasta water. Add basil, crushed red pepper flakes, paprika. Stir.
- Add ¼ teaspoon of salt gradually, stirring on low heat and tasting (you might need slightly less than ¼ teaspoon).
- Add cooked pasta to the sauce, and reheat gently on medium heat. Taste, and add more salt, if needed. Add a small amount of half and half or reserved cooked pasta water, if the sauce is too thick. Let everything simmer on low heat for a couple of minutes for flavors to combine.
Cook scallops:
- Season with salt by sprinkling each scallop with a dash of salt.
- Use a large, non-stick skillet (I used stainless steel skillet which works well for me as non-stick). Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in this non-stick skillet on high heat until hot but not smoking. Oil should not be smoking, just rolling easily around the skillet.
- Add scallops without overcrowding the pan. Sear on one side for about 3-4 minutes until the bottom is nice golden color. Don't move the scallops around the pan in the beginning.
- Turn the scallops to the other side and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and transfer the scallops to the plate immediately. Don't let the scallops sit in the hot skillet, off heat, because they will start to steam, lose their crust and harden up.
- Add cooked scallops to the pasta and the cream sauce and reheat gently. Serve.
- Note: Make sure to salt the dish just enough to bring out of the flavors of basil and sun-dried tomatoes.
Video
Notes
- What is half-and-half? To make 1 cup of half and half do this: combine ½ cup milk and ½ cup heavy, or whipping cream.
- Do not use fresh Mozzarella. Fresh Mozzarella is usually sold as a large ball or small balls in a brine or water solution. Do not shred fresh Mozzarella. Use Part-Skim, Low-Moisture Mozzarella cheese sold in blocks or pre-shredded.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.
When I added my half and half it curdled almost instantly! I don’t know what I did wrong, it didn’t even come to a full boil. The cheese would have melted fine but the texture was so off from the curdled half and half. We still all ate it and it has good flavor but so sad. Maybe next time I can get it right.
So sorry to hear that! Not sure why it happened. You can also try heavy cream next time instead of half and half.
1/ & 1/2 needs to be heated slowly. If not, due to the law fat content it will curdle.
Good feedback - thank you!
Mine also curdled at first but it became smooth . was very good
Michele, I am glad this recipe was a success! 🙂
I don't like sundry tomatoes is there something else I can use instead.
Jen, you can use regular tomatoes. I also have a recipe for Spicy Shrimp Pasta in Garlic Tomato Cream Sauce that you might like.
Would love to have recipe. Can you email it to me? If not, where can I get it?
Joe, if you scroll down to the bottom of the recipe, there will be 3 distinctive buttons for sharing: Pinterest, Facebook, and Email. Click the Email button to email any of my recipes to your email.
Made this and the pasta was dry. Tried adding more half and half and pasta water but didn’t make it saucy. And suggestions
Did you try rinsing your pasta after draining it? Then add the sauce.
If you don't want it to get cold then rinse it with boiled water.
Never rinse your pasta!! that takes the starch out of it not allowing the sauce to have structure and stick to the pasta. Always cook your pasta shy of al dente and finish it in the pasta sauce to get the best results.
Yes, great tips for regular pasta! However, if you use gluten-free pasta - rinse it so that it keeps its texture and doesn't get mushy.
Hi there. This looks amazing. how do I adjust recipe to make for 6 people who can eat alot
Add more pasta
Just prepare the ingredients to measure 1 1/2 the amounts. If they have huge appetites then double the ingredients.
I made your delicious recipe for my husband for our Valentines Day Dinner. He is very particular about his scallops and he loved this dish. I improvised based on one of the other reviews and added chopped spinach. And I made my own half and half after reading your instructions. Thanks for a wonderful recipe!
Just made this dish. It was delicious (and I do not like cook tomtoes). Hubby loved it too. Definitely doing it again
I’m not a fan of sun dried tomatoes. Can I substitute with sth lease ?
Delicious! I just used the shredded mozza from Costco and it melted perfectly!
I just made this for Xmas eve dinner for three. Simple but delicious! Admittedly, I deviated from the recipe a little...I added a chopped shallot, a couple handfuls of fresh baby spinach and juice of half a lemon but the recipe just lends itself to innovation! I would definitely make it again.
Denise, I am so happy to hear you enjoyed this pasta! Thank you so much for stopping by and taking the time to share such positive feedback. Love your addition of shallots, spinach, and freshly squeezed lemon juice - all of that sounds delicious!
Mine came out perfect! Used a little of the oil from the sun dried tomatoes and added some black pepper and used less garlic! The shredded cheese melted in as I poured in heavy cream! Delicious!
Kelli, so happy you tried this recipe and enjoyed it! Thank you so much for your feedback!
If your cheese didn't melt, your pan wasn't hot enough. My cheese melted with no problem!
Yes, the pan should be hot for the cheese to melt. Also, use part-skim low-moisture Mozzarella cheese (not the Mozzarella cheese balls).
Tasted great but like other reviews mozzarella cheese didn’t melt and got clumpy extremely disappointed
Not a fan. The cheese did not melt into the sauce. It got clumpy and rubbery.
So everyone who’s saying the mozzarella didn’t melt properly or became rubbery, it has nothing to do with your pans heat and simply the type of mozzarella you bought. This recipe sounds amazing and I’m going to try it tonight, but I will be using a block of mozzarella. Specifically Galbani block. It’s comes as a 16oz block and is a whole milk cheese and it is made to be sliced or shredded. It’s very low moisture and melts perfectly. I use it for my lasagnaa and pizzas and it’s never wet. It’s shred wonderfully when chilled and isn’t sitting in a brine while packaged. I suggest trying this recipe with that and you won’t be disappointed! Hope this is helpful to everyone
Great feedback! Using a low-moisture Mozzarella is key. Either use a block of low-moisture Mozzarella cheese that you shred yourself. Or make sure to buy pre-shredded Mozzarella cheese that is part-skim low-moisture.
Not a fan. The mozerrella did not melt into cream sauce instead became clumpy and rubbery.