Seared Sea Scallops with Roasted Tomatoes

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

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 Time10

Cook Time25

Total Time35

Course: Appetizers

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: servings

Author: Lynne Webb

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

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.

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