Shrimp Scampi is one of my favorite Italian dishes. The original dish was prepared with Scampi, or lagoustines. Lagoustines are crustaceans in the lobster family. Since they aren’t readily available in the United States, shrimp are used as a substitute. But the closest thing to lagoustines would actually be squat lobster, or langostino tails. You can find langostino tails at Trader Joe’s. But I walked right past them and snatched up a bag of bay scallops so that I can try something new- Scallop Scampi.
I’ve had Scallop Scampi with sea scallops before. But bay scallops takes the dish to the next level as they are more tender, and sweeter. You also get scallops all throughout the dish. I like my scampi served with spaghetti, so that’s what I used. Gluten free spaghetti. But you can use whatever type of pasta you like or have on hand.
I’ll grab a bag of the langostino tails next time I make this recipe since I’ve used them before in an etoufee dish, and they were delicious. I’ll make the dish again soon so that I can share it with y’all. But for now, here’s my Scallop Scampi recipe. I didn’t include measurements as scampi is the type of dish that you season to taste. I’ve actually never made it the same way twice.
Scallop Scampi
Ingredients
- bay scallops
- sea salt
- black pepper
- cayenne pepper
- garlic powder
- old bay
- dried parsley
- garlic (crushed)
- olive oil
- butter (salted)
- cooking wine
- lemon juice
- gluten free spaghetti (optional)
- grated parmesan
Instructions
- Rinse the bay scallops and pat dry a with paper towel. Season with sea salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic powder and old bay. Set aside to marinate while you prepare the spaghetti.
- Cook the spaghetti al dente. Rinse with cold water, drain and drizzle with a little olive oil to avoid clumping.
- Crush your garlic.
- Heat your pan. Add the olive oil and butter. Now add the bay scallops. Sear the scallops for 1-2 minutes. Then add the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds.
- Add the cooking wine to the pan and let it cook down for 30 seconds, then add the lemon juice. Turn off the heat and add a generous amount of dried parsley to the pan.
- Last but not least, add the spaghetti to the pan. Use tongs to mix the spaghetti with the scallops and sauce.
- Serve the Scallop Scampi hot, topped with grated parmesan cheese.
