I absolutely love a good pasta with lemon and capers, and when I went to the grocery store yesterday, their sea scallops looked SO enticing that I decided to try out an easy creamy scallop fettuccine with lemon and capers. This scallop fettuccine is so ridiculously easy to prepare and only takes a few minutes once all the ingredients are prepped and the pasta is cooked.

For this creamy scallop fettuccine recipe, the sauce actually only takes a couple of minutes to throw together as long as you have the ingredients prepped (and you definitely don’t want those scallops to get cold)!

Grade

Serves: 4-6

Cost: $$$

Skill Level: Easy

Time to Make: About 35 minutes

Ingredients for Easy Creamy Scallop Fettuccine with Lemon and Capers

1 pound sea scallops

3 tablespoons butter (or oil)

16 ounces fettuccine (plus ½ cup reserved pasta cooking water)

1 lemon

3.5 ounces capers

½ cup chicken stock

½ cup finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese

⅓ cup fresh parsley

Salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste

¼ cup heavy cream

Method

Prepare the Pasta:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the pasta instructions and reserve ½ cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain and rinse the pasta and set aside.

Prepare the Remaining Ingredients:

As the fettuccine is cooking, prepare the remaining ingredients. Pat the scallops dry and remove the muscle. Transfer to a plate and keep in the fridge. Zest the lemon and transfer the zest to a small bowl. Juice the lemon into another bowl. Drain and rinse the capers and transfer them to the bowl of lemon juice. Mince the parsley leaves. Add the grated cheese and minced parsley to the bowl of lemon zest and toss to combine. Season with a touch of salt and pepper.

Cook the Scallops:

Once the pasta is cooked and all the ingredients are prepped, fry the scallops. First, season the scallops with salt and pepper. Next, heat the butter in a large skillet (large enough to later hold the pasta) over high heat until very hot and frothy. Add the scallops and cook for about 2 minutes until very well browned. Flip and cook an additional minute or so or until the scallops are cooked through (pearly white). Remove from heat and transfer to a warm plate.

Prepare the Sauce:

Add the capers and lemon juice to the skillet over medium high along with a pinch of crushed red pepper to taste. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the chicken stock and scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes until reduced slightly. Add the bowl of cheese, lemon zest, and parsley and whisk it into the sauce. Cook for another minute or two until incorporated. Add the cream and pasta cooking water and bring to a low boil. Reduce the heat and then add the fettuccine and toss to combine. Cook for 1-2 minutes more or until the pasta is warmed through and completely coated with the sauce. Add the scallops back in and toss to combine (if desired, or serve the scallops on top).

To Serve:

Divide the creamy scallop fettuccine between shallow bowls and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Pin this Easy Creamy Scallop Fettuccine with Lemon and Capers for Later!