Scallop Shrimp Pasta with Burst Cherry Tomatoes
This scallop shrimp pasta with burst cherry tomatoes is perfect for not only quick and simple weeknight meals but also fancy date night dinners. It is so flavorful with sweetness from fresh seafood and umami from burst tomatoes.
A trip to Rome a few years ago totally changed the way I think of pasta. The noodles itself should be al dente with a slight chew. The sauce should be just enough to smoothly coat the pasta.
Since that trip, it has been impossible for me to have an appetite for saucy pasta. This scallop shrimp pasta with burst cherry tomatoes is by no means authentic, but I make it with all the essences of the delicious pasta dishes I tried in Rome in mind.
An Easy Seafood Pasta
This shrimp and scallop pasta is very quick and easy to make, using simple ingredients. The seafood is seared in a hot pan, and then a flavorful sauce is created right in that same pan. I find it great for daily meals as well as special occasions when you want to impress your guests.
Ingredients
The ingredients for this recipe are simple and easy to find in all grocery stores. As with any simple yet delicious dishes, the fresher and higher quality the ingredients, the tastier the result.
Pasta: whenever I cook seafood pasta, I love to use linguine. The shape and thickness of it fit this dish so well. You are welcome to experiment with other types of pasta you like, however the result may be affected.
I don’t recommend using short pasta like penne in a seafood pasta dish. If you have short pasta on hand, I recommend this easy pasta with beef recipe.
Other main ingredients: shrimp, scallops, cherry tomatoes, butter, white wine and a lot of garlic and parsley. Shrimps and scallops are delicate, sweet, flavorful and very quick to cook. Either fresh or frozen seafood can be used for this recipe.
Cherry tomatoes, after you “burst” them, provide sweetness, juiciness, umami and a little bit of acidity. Butter adds richness and smoothness while white wine, garlic, and parsley all add more depths and flavors to the dish.
Cooking Steps
Making this shrimp and scallop pasta involves several steps and if you time them right, you can finish it within 20-30 minutes. I really love how quick and easy it is to put together this dish (and this mushroom corn pasta too).
After gathering and prepping all ingredients, I would start with cooking the linguine if you use boxed dried pasta which takes longer to cook than fresh pasta. Cook the pasta to near al dente according to package instructions. It can take 10-12 minutes. And don’t forget to generously salt the water you cook the pasta in.
While the linguine is being cooked, you can broil the cherry tomatoes until burst, around 3-4 minutes. You can also sear scallops and shrimp, and then when the noodles are ready, throwing everything together takes only a few more minutes.
To get a nice sear on scallops, make sure that you pat dry the scallops, use a heavy-bottomed pan such as a cast iron and heat it until hot. This also applies to searing shrimp. I use my Staub cast iron pan
for this task. A Lodge cast iron skillet will also work great.
After searing the seafood, we will make the sauce in the same pan with garlic, white wine, cherry tomatoes and butter. Then simply add back the pasta and seafood, and mix well to coat everything with the smooth sauce.
Step-by-step instructions and photos are in the recipe card below.
Recipe Variations/Substitutions
- Use stock instead of white wine.
- Add red pepper flakes for some heat.
- Use sun-dried tomatoes instead of burst cherry tomatoes.
- Add some spinach.
I’d love to hear what you think about this dish, so please feel free to leave a comment. New recipes are added every week so let’s connect on Facebook, Youtube, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates.
Scallop Shrimp Pasta with Burst Cherry Tomatoes
Ingredients
- salt
- 6-8 oz linguine (or other pasta of your choice)
- 6 oz cherry tomatoes
- olive oil
- 8-10 oz scallops
- 8 oz shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 3 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- parsley, finely chopped (about 1-2 tablespoons)
- black pepper
Instructions
- Gather all ingredients and set the oven broiler to high.
- In a large pot with boiling water, season the water generously with salt. Add pasta and cook until near al dente (just a touch under) according to package instructions. Reserve some pasta cooking water.
- Spread cherry tomatoes on a baking sheet lined with foil. Broil for 3-4 minutes until burst, remove from oven and set aside.
- Pat scallops and shrimp dry with paper towel, sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. In a pan over medium high heat, add oil and when it's sizzling hot, add scallops. Leave them untouched and sear for 2-3 minutes or until the bottom is browned (amount of time depends on the scallop size and your stove). Flip and sear the other side for 1-2 minutes until browned. Transfer to a plate.
- Add some more oil to the pan if needed. Add shrimp and sear for 1-1 1/2 minutes until the outside is no longer pink and shrimps are almost cooked through. Transfer to the same plate with scallops.
- Reduce heat to medium, add some more oil to the pan and then add garlic. Sauté for a few seconds until fragrant and then add white wine. Deglaze the pan and let it cook for about 20 seconds. Add cherry tomatoes, pasta, butter, shrimp and scallops along with any juice on the plate. Mix thoroughly until butter is melted and flavors are combined. If the pasta is too dry, adjust with some reserved pasta water. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Transfer to serving plates. Sprinkle parsley on top and serve immediately.
Notes
- Use stock instead of white wine.
- Add red pepper flakes for some heat.
- Use sun-dried tomatoes instead of burst cherry tomatoes.
- Add some spinach.
So simple and so good! I love it 🥰
Thanks so much for letting me know! I’m glad you loved it :).
Im cooking this dish tomorrow night i was wondering if there was any reason you didnt add any onions.
Hi Leonie,
I hope it turned out great for you. There’s no problem with adding onions, just a personal preference. A while ago, I made a scallop pasta with some spinach and diced onions and just felt like the onions didn’t do much. Please feel free to add it if you want.
Delicious. I’ve made it a number of times but it’s a rush to do everything at one time. You have to be a really good cook to balance timing everything so you’re not burning/over cooking anything. I use quite a few more scallops and shrimp so we have left overs.
I’ve skipped broiling the tomatoes – they just end up mushy and I don’t think broiling them adds any flavor. A similar dish simply throws them in to simmer earlier – maybe when you’ve deglazed the pan, throw in the tomatoes, then butter, wait a couple of minutes, add the pasta and then scallops and shrimp. I have added seafood seasoning to bump the flavor – but sparingly. I keep the scallops/shrimp on very low in a toaster island. The husband loves parmesan so we sprinkle that on top. Delicious.
Hi Susan,
I’m glad to hear that you have made this a number of times. Thank you so much for sharing very detailed information on how you make the dish!
This is delicious. I’ve made it twice now. Second time I upped the seafood( a pound each), did a whole cup of wine, and made a whole pound of pasta. I cut up extra garlic and added some to shrimp. Came out great.
Hi Jeanette,
Thank you so much for the feedback! It’s great to know that you have made the dish twice and it tasted great :).
What can I use besides cherry tomatoes? I don’t like tomatoes cooked! Recipe sounds great and I already have everything to make it.
Hi Candance,
Do you like sun-dried tomatoes? This dish also tastes good with sun-dried tomatoes, and you can even add a splash of cream if you want. In case you don’t like sun-dried tomatoes either, I suggest using more garlic and adding some red pepper flakes. I hope this helps.
This recipe was so simple and came together so quickly I wasn’t sure how flavorful it would be. But wow did it exceed my expectations! So delicious…will definitely be making this again and again. It’s going to be great for entertaining fellow seafood lovers too. Thank you!!
This was a delicious recipe. My husband really enjoyed it. My daughter who is Gluten Free would be able to eat as well.
Hi Pat,
Thank you for your comment! I’m glad your family enjoyed it. There are quite a lot of options for gluten-free pasta at grocery stores nowadays. I remember I was impressed with how good brown rice pasta tasted when I first had it a couple years ago.
Made this for Christmas this year, simple and delicious!
That’s great to hear Sarah! Thank you for letting me know!
I was skeptical about making this ,,, But oh my goodness
Let me tell you the flavors blend very very well together
It was soooooo good
I will be definitely making more
Hi Sharon,
I’m glad you decided to give it a try and enjoyed it. Thank you so much for the feedback.
Absolutely delicious!! Very good flavours throughout- thank you !
Hi Sandra,
Thank you for the feedback! I’m so glad you loved the flavors :).
Awesome recipe. Other than prepping the the prawns it’s well easy. I added a bit more butter than recommended as I love the stuff.