Herb-Crusted Scallops over Black Truffle Pasta

If you can find either black or white truffle butter at your local market, it is an affordable way to impart that rich, umami-flavor of truffles to a number of dishes.  Some of my favorite ways to use truffle butter is on a pasta dish like this one, but also rubbed on roasted chicken, tossed with blanched broccoli, spread on a toasted slice of your favorite baguette, or used in your next batch of scrambled eggs.

This dish specifically is easy to put together but also very elegant.  I first seared some jumbo sea scallops that I then delicately coat in a mixture of chopped fresh chives and rosemary.  The scallops are served on top of a bed of al dente penne pasta tossed together with not only the truffle butter, but a saute of mixed gourmet mushrooms, garlic, shallots and white wine.  Skip the scallops if you like for a vegetarian main dish pasta, or use the same idea with shrimp or even shredded, roast chicken breasts.

(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)

Herb-Crusted Scallops over Black Truffle Pasta

  • Prep time:
  • Cook time:
  • Total time:
  • Yield: 2
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Recipe type: Pasta

Ingredients:

  • olive oil
  • 8 sea scallops, side muscle removed
  • 1 Tablespoon of both chopped rosemary and chives
  • 6-8 oz. penne pasta, cooked to al dente
  • 2 Tablespoons black truffle butter
  • Grated Pecorino or Parmesan cheese, for serving
  • For the mushroom saute:
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1 shallot, thinly sliced
  • salt and pepper
  • 8 oz. mixed sliced mushrooms
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine

Directions:

  1. First the seared scallops. Coat the bottom of a medium, non-stick saute pan with olive oil. Heat the oil over high heat and add in the scallops; cook for 1 minute or until browned, then flip and cook another 30 seconds. Remove the seared scallops from the heat. Dip one side of the seared scallops into the chopped herbs so that they stick.
  2. To make the saute of mushrooms, heat the oil over medium heat. Add in the crushed red pepper, garlic mushrooms, and shallots. Season with ½ teaspoon of salt and pepper. Saute for 5-7 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender and have exuded most of their liquid. Add in the white wine, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook another 2 minutes.
  3. Toss the al dente cooked pasta in with the truffle butter and mushroom saute, along with all of its juices. Serve the pasta topped with 4 scallops and a dusting of grated cheese.

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