If you’re looking for an easy dinner that will seriously impress your guests, this seafood scampi is all you need. Scallops and shrimp elevate any dish, and they take this simple pasta dish to insanely delicious levels. It’s perfect for special occasions, a dinner party or a weeknight meal.
I always love cooking pasta dishes over open fire because it’s not a method that immediately comes to mind for most people. But you just can’t beat extra flavor and sear you get from outdoor cooking — there’s nothing else like it. I made this seafood scampi with my Breeo fire pit, so I got all of the flavor and fun without a lot of smoke blowing around. Breeo’s fire pits create a smokeless fire (yes, you read that right) by creating more airflow throughout and burning a hotter fire. Who would have thought you could innovate fire? They pulled it off.
Post sponsored by Breeo
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love Seafood Scampi
A classic shrimp scampi is amazing, but you know what makes it even better? Scallops! People often get intimidated by scallops, but they’re super easy to cook once you get the hang of it. The key for that epic sear is drying out the scallops as much as possible. Be sure to pat them dry with a paper towel, then place them in the fridge uncovered to dry out even more. This method will give you a great crust on the outside while cooking your scallops evenly.
We round out this freakin’ delicious pasta with those juicy shrimp (I love a good shrimp on the grill recipe) and a traditional scampi sauce. This garlicky sauce doesn’t have a lot of ingredients, but with the succulent shrimp and the juicy scallops, you don’t need much at all for a great pan sauce and the best seafood pasta.
Looking for more seafood pastas? Check out Shrimp Alfredo, Steak and Shrimp Alfredo and Surf and Turf Ramen.
Seafood Scampi Ingredients
- Scallops: We’ll season our scallops with some of Spiceology’s SPG Seasoning (which is just their salt, black pepper and garlic blend). Don’t forget to remove the side muscle before cooking!
- Shrimp: Grab some tail-off, deveined shrimp and more SPG. Note: I used tail on shrimp because that’s what I had on hand, but you can speed up your cooking time by buying the already deveined shrimp!
- Scampi: Here’s that classic recipe! We’ll dress our pasta with melted unsalted butter, dry white wine, fresh parsley, red chili flakes, fresh garlic and fresh lemon juice.
Your Guide to Scallops
Made it to the seafood counter and don’t know where to go from here? Here are a few tips to keep in mind when you’re buying and preparing scallops.
- Buy “dry scallops” if you can. This has nothing to do with the drying we do at home! The term “dry scallops” means they’re not treated with chemical additives. They’re tastier and easier to sear than wet scallops, which are soaked in artificial preservatives. This method causes the scallops to retain water, so they look extra shiny and plump. But the extra water makes wet scallops really difficult to sear, and the preservatives can leave behind a rubbery texture and kind of gross flavor.
- Remove the side muscle before cooking. The side muscle, sometimes called the foot, is a small, rectangular piece on the side of the scallop. This part is chewier than the rest of the meat, and it’s easy to detach it by pinching it with your fingers or using a sharp knife.
- Pat them dry before you cook! Can’t emphasize this enough. A dry scallop before it hits the pan is a juicy, freakin’ delicious scallop when it leaves the pan.
Add flavor to everything you’re cooking
shop over the fire spice lines
How to Make Seafood Scampi
Shrimp and Scallops
First, pat 10-12 scallops dry with paper towels. Then, place them in the fridge, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes but ideally 1-2 hours to dry out. When they’re nice and dry, remove from the fridge and season with 2 tablespoons of SPG Seasoning.
Now for the shrimp! Slather your 10-12 shrimp in oil and season with your 2 tablespoons of the SPG Seasoning. Place the seasoned shrimp in the fridge.
Next, preheat a large skillet on the Breeo Y series for high heat (ideally 400 degrees Fahrenheit or more), adding a little butter to melt in the skillet. Add your scallops to the skillet to sear for 1-1.5 minutes per side. Pull off once done. Then, add in the shrimp to cook for 1-1.5 minutes per side. Pull these off once they’re done too.
Scampi Sauce
In your shrimp and scallop skillet, add 1 tablespoon minced garlic (from about 2-3 garlic cloves) to brown, then deglaze with 1/4 cup white wine and juice from one lemon.
Next, add 1/2 cup melted butter and 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes to the skillet and stir. Then, top the sauce with 2 cups cooked pasta and 1/4 cup pasta water. Stir together until everything is mixed.
Serving Your Seafood Scampi
Top the pasta with shrimp and scallops. Garnish the whole thing in the skillet with red pepper flakes, 1.5 tablespoons chopped parsley and crusty bread. Serve with and enjoy!
What to Serve with Seafood Scampi
You could really emphasize the garlic flavors in the sauce by serving this with…garlic bread! The best way to mop up that freakin’ delicious sauce. If you want more acid, serve with lemon wedges for diners to squeeze on their scallop and shrimp scampi pasta. A caprese salad or a grilled green vegetable, like zucchini or asparagus, are great choices for sides.
For More Seafood
Leftovers and Reheating
If you’re got leftover shrimp and scallops, store them in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat gently in a skillet with a little of the scampi sauce until just warm. You don’t want to overcook them and have them become tough and rubbery.
FAQs
I went with spaghetti for this seafood scampi recipe, but you could try angel hair pasta, linguine or fettuccine. Just make sure to check the cooking instructions so you boil the pasta for the right amount of time. Italian cooks would tell you to go with the al dente preparation, where the pasta still has a little bit of bite to it. I bet this would also be freakin’ delicious with zucchini noodles if you want a gluten-free version.
A sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio would be great. If you don’t want to use wine, you can substitute with an equal amount of chicken broth, or just use extra pasta water.
Breeo has a dealer locator page on its website and proudly makes its fire pits in the United States, so you can easily find its smokeless fire pits near you! You can also order online.
Get The Cookbooks!
Flavor X Fire & FOOD X Fire
All the major tastes—salty, sour, sweet, bitter, and umami—are explored in depth, along with an investigation of other components you should consider when it comes to flavor, such as aroma, heat, and texture.
Seafood Scampi
Ingredients
Scallops:
- 10-12 Scallops side muscle removed
- 2 tbsp Spiceology's Salt, Pepper, Garlic Seasoning
- Butter as needed
Shrimp:
- 10-12 Shrimp tail off
- 2 tbsp Spiceology's Salt, Pepper, Garlic Seasoning
- Butter as needed
Scampi:
- 2 cups Cooked Pasta
- ½ cup Melted Butter unsalted
- ¼ cup White Wine
- ¼ cup Pasta Water
- 1.5 tbsp Chopped Parsley
- 1 tbsp Red Chili Flakes
- 1 tbsp Minced Garlic
- 1 Lemon juiced
Instructions
Shrimp & Scallops:
- Pat your scallops dry with a paper towel and then place in the fridge, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes but ideally 1-2 hours to dry out.
- Pull the scallops out, season with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
- Slather the shrimp in oil and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Set in the fridge.
- Preheat a skillet on the Breeo Y series for high heat (ideally 400F+) adding a little butter to melt in the skillet.
- Add your scallops to the skillet to sear for 1-1.5 minutes per side. Pull off once done.
- Add in the shrimp to cook for 1-1.5 minutes per side. Then pull off once done.
Scampi:
- In your shrimp and scallop skillet, add some minced garlic to brown then deglaze with the white wine and lemon juice.
- Add the butter along with red chili flakes and stir. Then top the sauce with the cooked pasta and pasta water. Stir together until everything is mixed.
- Top the pasta with shrimp and scallops. Garnish the skillet with red chili flakes, chopped parsley and crusted bread. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Buy “dry scallops” if you can. This has nothing to do with the drying we do at home! The term “dry scallops” means they’re not treated with chemical additives. They’re tastier and easier to sear than wet scallops, which are soaked in artificial preservatives. This method causes the scallops to retain water, so they look extra shiny and plump. But the extra water makes wet scallops really difficult to sear, and the preservatives can leave behind a rubbery texture and kind of gross flavor.
- Remove the side muscle before cooking. The side muscle, sometimes called the foot, is a small, rectangular piece on the side of the scallop. This part is chewier than the rest of the meat, and it’s easy to detach it by pinching it with your fingers or using a sharp knife.
- Pat them dry before you cook! Can’t emphasize this enough. A dry scallop before it hits the pan is a juicy, freakin’ delicious scallop when it leaves the pan.
