This scallops and bacon linguine may sound like an unusual union, but it works! Have you ever tested this combination? If not, this is a great opportunity to try it out and see for yourself. Scallops and bacon are, in fact, fantastic together: smoky crunchy bacon complements sweet and briny scallops with both flavour and texture.
The Flavour Affair:
Scallops + Bacon + Cream + Parsley + Garlic + Parmesan
Tossed in a rich, creamy sauce with aromatic garlic and parsley and topped with a generous amount of parmesan, scallops and bacon linguine make an insanely indulgent dish.
Scallops: boast subtly sweet oceanic flavour with buttery richness and delicate texture.
Bacon: use smoked bacon in this recipe to create a balance of savory, salty, and sweet flavours and add a smoky aroma.
Cream: you can usual regular cooking cream in this recipe. It helps to create a rich, luscious texture.
Parsley: fresh parsley adds a nice contrast to this dish which is on a heavier side.
Garlic: when cooked, garlic transforms its pungency into a mellow, buttery sweetness. Add towards the end of the cooking to have a more noticeable kick.
Parmesan: finishes off the dish with its sharp, salty and slightly nutty flavour. Use sparingly as we already have salty bacon!
How to make scallops and bacon linguine:
The process is fairly straightforward and consists of the following steps:
Prepare the ingredients:
- Cut the strips into 2x2cm squares and fry on a large pan over medium heat with a couple of garlic cloves. When the bacon reach a deep brown color and a crunchy texture, transfer to a paper towel to drain excess fat. Wipe the pan off but reserve some of the fat for frying the scallops later.
- Wash and chop parsley and grate parmesan cheese. Set aside.
- Wash the scallops, remove the muscle and clean thoroughly from sand.
Cook pasta:
- Boil the linguine one minute short of instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water.
Make the sauce:
- While the pasta is boiling, heat the reserved bacon fat to medium high and sear the scallops for a minute on each side. If you cook them longer, they can turn chewy. Return the bacon to the pan, pour in the cream, add half of chopped parsley, season with salt and stir to combine. Add a minced garlic clove if you want a more prominent pungent taste.
Assemble and serve:
- Add the pasta to the sauce and toss to coat. Cook for 30-40 seconds, stirring constantly. Check for consistency and if the pasta looks dry, add some of the cooking water. Serve sprinkled with the remaining parsley and grates parmesan.
I hope you give this delicious combo a try!
Scallops and Bacon Linguine
Equipment
- 1 large pan
- 1 Large Pot
Ingredients
- 300 g linguine pasta
- 300 g sliced bacon cut to form 2cm squares
- 12 scallops
- 6-7 garlic cloves smashed
- 1 garlic clove minced (optional)
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 200 ml cooking cream
- 1/2 cups cooking water from pasta
- grated parmesan
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the bacon: fry it over medium heat with smashed garlic cloves until browned and crispy. Transfer to a paper towel to drain excess oil.
- Wipe the pan off but reserve about 1 tbsp of fat for frying the scallops later.
- Boil the pasta one minute short of the cooking time. Reserve 1/2 cups cooking water.
- Remove the muscle and thoroughly wash the scallops. Pat dry.
- While the pasta is cooking, sear the scallops in bacon fat over medium-high heat for a minute on each side.
- Return the bacon and garlic to the pan, lower the heat, add the cream and stir to combine. Add minced garlic, if using. Season with salt.
- Add half the parsley and the cooked pasta, and cook, stirring, for 30-40 seconds. Check for consistency (the pasta should not be dry) and add cooking water if needed.
- Sprinkle with parmesan, the remaining parsley and freshly ground black pepper.
Notes
- Fry scallops over high heat for only a minute on each side so that they turn golden but don’t overcook. If they do, they can become chewy.
- Reserving cooking water is important: it helps to keep the pasta moist but doesn’t thin the sauce out because of the starch it contains.
