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This simple recipe pairs perfectly seared sea scallops with roasted grape tomatoes and a light, flavorful sauce of sautéed shallots, white wine, and lemon. As versatile as it is easy to make, it can be served as a light starter course for a seafood dinner, or over pasta as a complete meal.
Seared sea scallops with roasted grape tomatoes in a serving bowl with fork, parsley garnish.

Table of contents

We created this recipe for seared sea scallops as one of the starters for our Italian Christmas Eve (Feast of the Seven Fishes Dinner). As written, it serves six as a light appetizer that can be served just as is, with slices of toasted baguette, over a bed of fresh baby spinach for a warm salad, or turned into a delicious pasta course (instructions in the recipe).

Notes From the MGC Kitchen

At the time of this writing, we’ve been updating the recipes included in our version of the Feast of Seven Fishes, which is how this dish came about. We wanted to lighten up the whole meal a bit by eliminating one of the pasta dishes while still keeping scallops in the mix, so we paired them with roasted tomatoes and topped them with a savory sauce of sautéed shallots, white wine, and lemon.

Overhead view of recipe ingredients including sea scallops, grape tomatoes, shallots, and parsley.

Key Ingredients

This is an overview of the key ingredients for this recipe. Please see the printable recipe card below for the complete listing, including quantities.

  • SEA SCALLOPS: Large sea scallops (16 to 20 per pound) are the best choice for pan-searing. When you’re out shopping, look for scallops labeled as “dry, dry pack, diver, or day boat.” Dry scallops are a little harder to find as most scallops in the supermarket have been soaked in a sodium solution to extend their shelf life. These scallops still have good flavor, but you won’t be able to get a nice sear on them all that easily. If the scallops are not marked one way or the other, check to see if they’re sitting in milky liquid and make a note of their color. Scallops that have been soaked are generally whiter than their dry-packed counterparts, which are a creamy tan color.
  • GRAPE TOMATOES: Grape tomatoes (or cherry tomatoes) develop a jammy consistency when roasted, and their mild acidity serves as a perfect counterpart to the richness of the buttery sauce.
  • SHALLOTS: We were looking for a milder flavor for this dish, so we chose to use minced shallots instead of garlic. If you prefer garlic, cut the quantity down. Two medium-sized cloves should be plenty (about 1-1/2 teaspoons).
  • RED PEPPER FLAKES: If you’d like a hint of heat, add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes to the shallots as you sauté them. We use about 1/8 teaspoon.
  • WHITE WINE: Deglazing the pan with white wine and reducing it slightly enhances the flavor of the shallot-butter sauce. For an alcohol-free version, you could deglaze with a little low-sodium chicken broth or even water.
  • LEMON JUICE: Fresh squeezed lemon juice is added last when making the sauce so its fresh citrus flavor and bright acidity is a notable flavor in the finished dish.

How to Make Seared Sea Scallops with Roasted Tomatoes

This is an overview of how this recipe is prepared. Please see the printable recipe card below for detailed step-by-step instructions.

Roasted grape tomatoes on a baking sheet.

ROAST THE TOMATOES: Preheat the oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss the tomatoes with olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Spread them in a single layer on the baking sheet and roast for 10 to 15 minutes until they are wilted and show a little caramelization around the edges. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Side by side prep photos in stainless pan shallot-butter pan sauce and seared scallops.

MAKE THE SHALLOT-BUTTER SAUCE: While the tomatoes roast, sauté minced shallots and a pinch of crushed red pepper in olive oil over medium heat until the shallots are soft and barely golden. Deglaze the pan with the white wine, simmer for a minute or two to cook off the alcohol, then add the lemon juice and continue cooking for a couple of minutes. Transfer the pan sauce to a small bowl and wipe out the pan.

SEAR THE SCALLOPS: Blot the scallops dry on both sides with paper towels and season them with salt and pepper. Return the pan to the stove and heat some olive oil and butter together until sizzling. Swirl the pan to coat the bottom evenly. Add the scallops one at a time in a clockwise pattern and cook until lightly seared on the first side, about 1-1/2 minutes. Use tongs to turn the scallops in the order in which you added them to the pan and don’t try to turn them too quickly or they might stick. Once they have a proper sear, you’ll find they release from the pan fairly easily. As soon as you’ve turned all the scallops, return the shallot butter sauce to the pan and finish cooking them for 1 to 2 minutes longer. Timing will depend on the size of your scallops. Be careful not to overcook them.

Dish of seared sea scallops and roasted tomatoes, drizzled with shallot butter sauce, red linen napkin, matte black fork.

FINISH THE DISH: Working quickly, transfer the scallops to a serving dish. Add the tomatoes to the pan and gently toss with the sauce. Reheat for 1 minute, then spoon the tomatoes and sauce over the scallops and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve immediately.

Make It a Pasta Dinner

This pan-seared sea scallop recipe can easily be turned into a delicious pasta dish that serves four people. Here’s how:

Cook and drain 8 ounces of capellini or linguine and toss with 1 tablespoon each of butter and extra-virgin olive oil. Prepare the recipe as written up until the last step. Instead of spooning the shallot butter sauce over the scallops, toss the sauce with the pasta, plate individual servings, and top each with the seared scallops. Serve with a salad to round out the meal.

Seared sea scallops and roasted grape tomatoes, topped with shallot butter pan sauce and garnished with parsley.
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A serving dish of seared sea scallops and roasted grape tomatoes topped with shallot-butter sauce.
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Seared Sea Scallops with Roasted Tomatoes

By Lynne Webb
This simple recipe pairs perfectly seared sea scallops with roasted grape tomatoes and a light, flavorful sauce of sautéed shallots, white wine, and lemon. As versatile as it is easy to make, it can be served as a light starter course for a seafood dinner, or over pasta as a complete meal.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 35 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
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Ingredients

  • 18 sea scallops (10 to 20 per pound), 1 to 1-1/4 pounds
  • 1 pint cherry (or grape) tomatoes, halved
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons minced shallots
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
  • Pinch crushed red pepper flakes, optional
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
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Instructions 

Roast the tomatoes:

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Toss the tomatoes with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Spread them in a single layer on the baking sheet and roast until wilted and showing a little caramelization around the edges, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Make the shallot butter sauce:

  • While the tomatoes are roasting, sauté the minced shallots in 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat until they are soft and barely golden. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes if desired.
  • Deglaze the pan with the white wine, simmer for 1 to 2 minutes to cook off the alcohol flavor, then add the lemon juice and continue cooking for an additional minute. Use a spatula to transfer the mixture to a small bowl and wipe out the pan.

Sear the scallops:

  • Blot the scallops dry on both sides with paper towels and season them with salt and pepper.
  • Return the pan to the stove over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil along with the butter.
  • Once the butter and oil start to sizzle, add the scallops one at a time in a clockwise pattern and cook until seared on the first side, about 1-1/2 minutes.
  • Use tongs to turn the scallops in the order in which you added them to the pan. Don't try to turn them too quickly or they might stick. Once they have a proper sear, you'll find they release from the pan fairly easily.
  • As soon as you've turned all the scallops, return the shallot butter sauce to the pan and finish cooking them for 1 to 2 minutes longer. Timing will depend on the size of your scallops. Be careful not to overcook them.

Finish the dish:

  • Working quickly, transfer the scallops to a serving dish. Add the tomatoes to the pan and gently toss with the sauce. Reheat for 1 minute.
  • Spoon the tomatoes and sauce over the scallops, and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve immediately.

Notes

Ways to Serve This Recipe

As written, this recipe serves six as an appetizer. If desired, you can serve it with slices of toasted baguette or over a bed of fresh spinach as a warm salad.
You can also make it into a pasta dish for four. Here’s how:
Cook and drain 8 ounces of capellini or linguine and toss with 1 tablespoon each of butter and extra-virgin olive oil. Prepare the recipe as written up until the last step. Instead of spooning the shallot butter sauce over the scallops, toss it with the pasta, plate individual servings, and top each with the seared scallops.

Nutrition

Calories: 319kcal, Carbohydrates: 11g, Protein: 15g, Fat: 23g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 13g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 50mg, Sodium: 819mg, Potassium: 547mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 1014IU, Vitamin C: 36mg, Calcium: 30mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Lynne Webb and Erika Pitera, creators of MyGourmetConnection in the kitchen, working on a soup recipe for the website.

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We’re Lynne and Erika, a mother-daughter duo passionate about creating recipes that bring flavor and variety to your kitchen in a simple, approachable way.

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2 Comments

    1. Hi Allie,
      I do think this would be good with shrimp and if you use jumbo shrimp (no more than 20 per pound) the cooking instructions should be about the same.

      Reply