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Butter-Basted Scallops with Lemon, Capers and Fettuccine

Butter-Basted Scallops with Lemon, Capers and Fettuccine

By Hisham Ali HassanMarch 26, 2025

  • Makes
    4 servings
  • Cook Time
    45 minutes
  • Rating

Don’t bust the crust!Allow scallops to sear undisturbed until they release easily from the skillet. This is how you know they’re nicely crusted and ready to be flipped. After turning them, we baste them with butter to finish their cooking and keep them succulent. Look for jumbo dry sea scallops—“jumbo” indicates there are 10 to 20 scallops per pound. “Dry” indicates that the shellfish has not been treated with sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP), a chemical that forces water retention.

Ingredients

  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper

  • 8-9

    ounce container fresh fettuccine

  • 12

    ounces dry sea scallops (see headnote), side tendons removed and discarded, patted dry

  • 1

    tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

  • 4

    tablespoons salted butter, cut into 4 pieces

  • ¼

    cup drained capers, patted dry

  • 2

    tablespoons lemon juice

  • ¼

    cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided

Step 1

In a large pot, boil 2 quarts water. Add 2 teaspoons salt and the pasta; cook, stirring, until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of cooking water, then drain, leaving some water clinging to the pasta; set aside. Meanwhile, lightly season the scallops with salt. In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high, heat the oil until barely smoking. Quickly pat the scallops dry once again and place in the pan. Cook without disturbing until golden brown on the bottoms and the scallops release easily, 2 to 4 minutes.

Step 2

Flip each scallop, then add the butter and capers, swirling to incorporate. Cook, spooning hot butter over the scallops, until the butter smells nutty and the scallops are opaque throughout, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the scallops to a plate.

Step 3

Add the pasta and ¼ cup of the reserved cooking water to the butter mixture remaining in the skillet. Cook over medium, tossing with tongs, until the pasta is lightly sauced, 1 to 2 minutes; add more reserved pasta water as needed so the sauce clings. Stir in the lemon juice and half the parsley, then taste and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl or divide among individual plates, then top with the scallops and sprinkle with the remaining parsley.