Aglio e Olio with Lemon Butter Scallops. Aglio e Olio is a classic Italian pasta dish translating literally to "garlic & oil." Simple, humble and a true pantry dish. Elegant in it's simplicity, we are elevating it even more by adding a seared scallop with a lemon butter sauce. A beautifully balanced plate that’s both effortless and impressive, making it just as perfect for a weeknight dinner as it is for a special occasion. Traditionally, this pasta is not served with cheese. Purists will tell you, "never!", but you won't hear that from me!
Aglio e Olio
Garlic & Oil. This entire dish lies in the foundation: the garlic infused olive oil. This si the time to use the olive oil that you splurged on. The best olive oil comes in a dark glass bottle, or even better, a fully opaque tin. This is my favorite. Heat good-quality olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat, then add the garlic, letting it gently sizzle. Wait until a few pieces and the edges begin to turn golden & immediately remove pan from heat. Do not let it brown! This slow infusion brings out its sweetness while avoiding any bitterness.
The Pasta
Make sure to salt the water generously. There is no added salt in the oil part of the dish, so your seasoning is coming from the pasta itself to really help balance the dish. I do not reserve pasta water for this dish as water & oil repel each other, and the oil itself coats spaghetti incredibly well. Linguine is another pasta that works really well with this dish.
Perfectly Cooked Lemon Butter Scallops
Cooking scallops takes just 3-4 minutes, depending on their size. The goal—aside from ensuring they’re cooked through—is to achieve that deep golden crust that adds both texture and flavor. A great sear enhances the natural sweetness of the scallops and makes all the difference in the final dish.
Prepping the Scallops
Before cooking, check for the side muscle, a small, fibrous piece often attached to the scallop. It’s easy to remove—just peel it off with your fingers *see photo below*. Once prepped, heat a heavy skillet (cast iron or stainless steel works best) over high heat and add oil until it just starts to smoke.
Getting the Perfect Sear
The pan should be very hot, as scallops cook in a short amount of time and need that immediate contact with high heat to develop a good sear.Let them cook undisturbed for about 2 minutes, until a golden-brown crust forms. Flip and continue cooking for 30 seconds to 2 minutes, depending on their size—smaller scallops finish quickly, while larger ones take a little longer. You’ll know they’re done when they’re opaque and firm to the touch but still tender inside.
Making the Lemon Butter Sauce
To finish, remove the pan from the heat and deglaze by adding fresh lemon juice, which lifts all the flavorful browned bits from the skillet. Stir in butter, letting it melt into a silky sauce. Adjust with more lemon or butter to taste, then finish with fresh herbs for brightness. Drizzle this rich, tangy sauce over the scallops before serving, and enjoy a dish that feels just as elegant as it is effortless.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Recipe Name: Aglio e Olio with Lemon Butter Scallops
- Ready In: 30 minutes from start to finish.
- Makes: Serves 3 people
- Flavor: Garlicky, buttery, lemony, and savory with plenty of fresh flavor.
- Perfect For: Date night, an easy seafood dinner, or a restaurant-style meal at home.
- Best Part: The simple garlic and olive oil pasta lets the golden lemon butter scallops really shine.
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Jump to:
- Aglio e Olio
- Perfectly Cooked Lemon Butter Scallops
- A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Ingredients You'll Need
- Why You’ll Love These Aglio e Olio with Lemon Butter Scallops
- How to Make Aglio e Olio with Lemon Butter Scallops
- Tips for the Best Aglio e Olio with Lemon Butter Scallops
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Recipes You'll Love
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Ingredients You'll Need
For the Aglio e Olio
- Spaghetti: The simple pasta base that soaks up the garlicky olive oil and pairs perfectly with the scallops.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Creates the rich base for the aglio e olio and is gently infused with fresh garlic.
- Garlic: Thinly sliced garlic cooks slowly in the olive oil until soft, sweet, and golden.
- Kosher salt: Seasons the pasta water and helps bring out the flavors of the garlic, pasta, and scallops.
- Fresh parsley: Adds freshness and a pop of herby flavor to the finished pasta.
- Parmesan cheese: Optional, but adds a salty, savory finish to the spaghetti.
For the Lemon Butter Scallops
- Scallops: Pat them very dry and remove the side muscle before cooking to help them develop a beautiful sear.
- Black pepper: Adds a simple peppery seasoning that complements the delicate scallops.
- Butter: Creates a rich sauce for the scallops and pairs beautifully with fresh lemon.
- Fresh lemon juice: Brightens the buttery scallops with fresh acidity.
- Red pepper flakes: Optional for adding a little heat to the finished dish.
Why You’ll Love These Aglio e Olio with Lemon Butter Scallops
If you're looking for this kind of recipe that's flavorful, and easy to make at home, here's why you'll love this one:
- Simple but impressive: A handful of ingredients come together for a restaurant-worthy pasta that feels special without being complicated.
- Golden, buttery scallops: Pan-seared scallops add a tender, rich bite that pairs perfectly with the simple pasta.
- Packed with garlic flavor: Slowly cooking sliced garlic in extra virgin olive oil creates a flavorful base without overpowering the dish.
- Bright and fresh: Fresh lemon juice balances the butter and olive oil, keeping the dish from feeling too heavy.
- Easy to customize: Add Parmesan for extra richness or red pepper flakes if you like a little heat.
- Perfect for date night: It looks elegant enough for a special occasion but is approachable enough to make at home.
- Beautiful balance of flavors: Garlicky pasta, fresh parsley, lemon, butter, and seared scallops give you something savory, fresh, and rich in every bite.
How to Make Aglio e Olio with Lemon Butter Scallops
- Prep Scallops: Remove side muscle of scallop if there is one. It is a small piece of tissue on the side you can peel off with your fingers. Pat dry with paper towels. Season well with salt and pepper.
- Make Garlic Infused Oil: In small skillet or sauce pan, add extra virgin olive oil and sliced garlic. Put heat on medium-low & cook garlic, stirring every few minutes. Stop as soon as the garlic starts turning golden and remove oil from heat. Don't forget, It will continue cooking in the oil. You do not want it to brown or burn! The garlic has to stay soft and sweet. Set aside until pasta and scallops are ready.
- Make Pasta: Bring large pot of water to boil. Make sure to season well with salt. There is no other salt in this pasta so your pasta should be seasoned well! Boil pasta according to package. Drain really well. Place back in warm pot and pour garlic and oil sauce over the noodles. Toss to coat. if adding, add parmesan cheese while still warm and then fresh parsley.
- While pasta boils, Sear Scallops: Heat 1tbs of avocado oil in a heavy bottomed skillet (like cast iron or stainless steal) on high. Once oil is very hot, add scallop and sear 1-2 minutes until nice hard sear is formed. Flip scallop and cook until fully opaque and tender. This could take anywhere from 30 seconds to a minute depending on the size of the scallop. A small scallop may only need a few seconds on the second side!
- Make Lemon Butter Sauce: Remove scallops and add lemon juice to hot scallop pan. Use lemon juice to lift everything off the pan by gently stirring with a spoon or spatula (if pan is very hot, remove from heat!). Add butter & basil and toss until silky. Taste and add more butter or lemon juice as needed.
- Serve: Serve pasta with scallops & lemon butter sauce on top or on the side, extra basil, parmesan and red pepper flake.
Tips for the Best Aglio e Olio with Lemon Butter Scallops
- Pat the scallops very dry: Removing as much moisture as possible helps them develop that beautiful golden sear instead of steaming.
- Remove the side muscle: Check each scallop for the small, tough side muscle and peel it off before cooking.
- Don’t burn the garlic: Cook the sliced garlic over medium-low heat and remove it from the heat as soon as it starts turning golden. It will continue cooking in the hot oil.
- Salt the pasta water well: Since the pasta itself doesn’t have much additional salt, properly seasoned pasta water makes a big difference in the final flavor.
- Get the skillet very hot: Add the scallops only once the oil and pan are hot enough to create a hard sear.
- Give the scallops space: Avoid overcrowding the skillet so the scallops can brown instead of releasing moisture and steaming.
- Don’t overcook the scallops: They cook quickly. Sear the first side for about 1–2 minutes, then cook the second side just until the scallops are opaque and tender.
- Watch the lemon butter sauce: If the scallop pan is extremely hot, remove it from the heat before adding the lemon juice and butter.
- Add Parmesan while the pasta is warm: If using Parmesan, toss it into the warm pasta before adding the fresh herbs so it melts into the noodles.
- Serve right away: Scallops are at their best immediately after cooking, while they’re tender and the lemon butter sauce is still silky.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pat the scallops very dry with paper towels before seasoning. Heat the avocado oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet until very hot, then add the scallops without overcrowding the pan. Let them sear undisturbed for 1–2 minutes before flipping.
The scallops should be opaque and tender with a golden crust. After searing the first side, the second side may only need 30 seconds to 1 minute, depending on their size.
Absolutely. Parmesan is optional in this recipe. The garlic-infused olive oil, fresh parsley, and well-seasoned pasta provide plenty of flavor on their own.
The pan may be too hot. After removing the scallops, add the lemon juice to loosen the browned bits from the skillet. If the pan is extremely hot, take it off the heat before adding the butter and stirring until the sauce becomes silky.
The pasta components can be prepared in advance, but the scallops are best cooked right before serving. Reheating scallops can easily make them firm or rubbery.
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📖 Recipe
Aglio e Olio with Lemon Butter Scallops
Ingredients
Aglio e Olio
- 8 oz spaghetti
- ¼ cup good extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbs garlic , (about 4 cloves), sliced thin
- kosher salt
- 2 tbs fresh parsley
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese, optional
Lemon Butter Scallops
- .5-1lb scallops, patted dry, side muscle removed
- black pepper
- 2 tbs butter
- juice of one lemon
- optional: red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Prep Scallops: Remove side muscle of scallop if there is one. It is a small piece of tissue on the side you can peel off with your fingers. Pat dry with paper towels. Season well with salt and pepper.
- Make Garlic Infused Oil: In small skillet or sauce pan, add extra virgin olive oil and sliced garlic. Put heat on medium-low & cook garlic, stirring every few minutes. Stop as soon as the garlic starts turning golden and remove oil from heat. Don't forget, It will continue cooking in the oil. You do not want it to brown or burn! The garlic has to stay soft and sweet. Set aside until pasta and scallops are ready.
- Make Pasta: Bring large pot of water to boil. Make sure to season well with salt. There is no other salt in this pasta so your pasta should be seasoned well! Boil pasta according to package. Drain really well. Place back in warm pot and pour garlic and oil sauce over the noodles. Toss to coat. if adding, add parmesan cheese while still warm and then fresh parsley.
- While pasta boils, Sear Scallops: Heat 1tbs of avocado oil in a heavy bottomed skillet (like cast iron or stainless steal) on high. Once oil is very hot, add scallop and sear 1-2 minutes until nice hard sear is formed. Flip scallop and cook until fully opaque and tender. This could take anywhere from 30 seconds to a minute depending on the size of the scallop. A small scallop may only need a few seconds on the second side!
- Make Lemon Butter Sauce: Remove scallops and add lemon juice to hot scallop pan. Use lemon juice to lift everything off the pan by gently stirring with a spoon or spatula (if pan is very hot, remove from heat!). Add butter & basil and toss until silky. Taste and add more butter or lemon juice as needed.
- Serve: Serve pasta with scallops & lemon butter sauce on top or on the side, extra basil, parmesan and red pepper flake.
Really good recipe--clear instructions and great result! (But I did add a little white wine)