Creamy Bay Scallop Pasta

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This easy pasta features sweet and tender bay scallops in the dreamiest sauce. The sauce is light but creamy, with tomato, fresh chives, and puffs of ricotta cheese. The simple ingredients enhance the fresh seafood flavours making this pasta the best.

Close up image of a bowl of bay scallop pasta.

I added just a touch of heat with minced jalapeño; this is totally optional. And I used pasta shells, which are perfect for scooping up all of that flavour. Plus they are perfectly on theme!

For another delicious recipe with pasta shells, give my pumpkin and mushroom stuffed shells with cheese a try. The umami in this dish is just 'wow.'

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Ingredients
Substitutions
Variations
Should you rinse bay scallops before cooking?
Instructions
Storage
Tip for Success
FAQ
📖 Recipe

Ingredients

Bay scallops - Fresh if you can get them, or frozen if you can't. To thaw frozen bay scallops, place them on a paper towel-lined tray in the refrigerator overnight. Or, if you don't have enough time, fully submerge them in a bowl of cool water for thirty minutes to an hour until they are thawed.
Pasta - Shells or another pasta of choice.
Olive oil
Tomato
Jalapeño (optional)
Garlic
Fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Half and half cream
Fresh chives
Ricotta cheese

See the recipe card below for quantities.

Substitutions

Bay scallops: You can substitute bay scallops with regular sea scallops cut into halves or quarters, depending on their size.

Ricotta cheese: The best ricotta cheese substitute for this recipe would be cottage cheese. It is light and mild, so it won't overpower the other flavours. It's also lower in calories.

Variations

Non-spicy: Simply omit the jalapeño in this recipe to make a non-spicy version.

A bowl of bay scallops by fresh chives on a cutting board.

Should you rinse bay scallops before cooking?

Yes. Rinse bay scallops thoroughly with cold water, then pat them dry with paper towels.

Instructions

Have all of your vegetables prepped before you begin cooking.

Cook the pasta in boiling, salted water according to package directions. When it is finished cooking, drain and set aside in a large bowl. Try to time it out so that the pasta will finish cooking very shortly after adding the scallops to the pan.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add in the tomato and jalapeño and cook for a minute. Add the garlic and cook for another thirty seconds.

Next, add in the bay scallops and season with salt and pepper. Stirring occasionally, cook for about two minutes or until the scallops turn just opaque on the outside.

Stir in the half and half. When it just starts to come to a boil, immediately remove from the heat and add the scallop pan ingredients and the chives into the bowl with the pasta.

Season the bay scallop pasta with fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toss well to combine and top with small dollops of ricotta cheese.

A bowl of creamy bay scallop pasta on a cloth napkin.

Storage

Store any leftover pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three to four days.

Tip for Success

Make sure to pat dry scallops with paper towel after rinsing them. Waterlogged scallops can be mushy and won't cook properly.

FAQ

What is the difference between bay scallops and sea scallops?

Bay scallops are smaller, sweeter, and more tender than sea scallops. They are also cheaper to buy because they live in shallower water, making them much easier to harvest.

Are bay scallops healthy?

Bay scallops are high in protein, antioxidants, magnesium, Vitamin B12, and omega-3 fatty acids.

When are bay scallops in season?

Bay scallops are in season from late fall (typically early November) through March.

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