Brown Butter Scallops with Creamy Corn Rigatoni
A decadent way to showcase sweet summer corn and beautiful sea scallops. To save money, feel free to swap in shrimp for the scallops, just adjusting the cook time to suit your particular shrimp. The depth of flavor from brown butter, paired with the lusciousness of creme fraiche makes this extra special and really perfect for entertaining or a special-occasion meal.Â
- Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 pound rigatoni
- Salt and pepper, as needed
- 6 TBSP butter, divided
- 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
- 2/3 cup diced onion, any kind (about half a med-large yellow onion)
- 4 ears fresh corn, kernels removed (save the cobs)
- 2 garlic cloves, grated or minced
- 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (or creme fraiche)
- 1.25 pounds sea scallops
- Fresh parsley, basil, arugula or watercress for topping
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions in salty water, reserving ½ cup before draining.
- Add the oil to a large skillet over medium heat. When this is hot, add the onion and corn kernels. Season generously with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook one minute more. Add the yogurt and about ½ cup of the starchy pasta water (give or take). Using the back of a large knife, scrape the corn cobs to extract all of the (super flavorful) corn milk (optional). Just scrape/pour it right into the skillet. Stir to create a nice creamy sauce. Add the pasta and toss to coat. Taste and adjust seasonings, then transfer to a big platter or individual plates.
- Pull the small muscle off the sides of the scallops and discard. Rinse the scallops in cold water and pat very dry. Season all over with salt and pepper.
- Add 2 tablespoons of the butter to a second large skillet set over medium high. When it’s hot and working it batches, sear the scallops for about 2.5 minutes until super browned, flip, and then sear for one minute more. Transfer them to a plate.
- Add the remaining 4 TBSP butter to the skillet and reduce the heat to medium. Allow it to melt and then continue to let it simmer for a few more minutes, until it becomes visibly golden and smells nutty.
- Add the scallops back into the pan, reduce the heat to low, and tilt the pan as you spoon the butter over the scallops for about a minute.
- Top the pasta and corn mixture with the scallops and pour the brown butter all over. Finish with some fresh chopped parsley, basil, watercress, or arugula.Â
Notes
Be sure that the scallops are very dry before you cook them, as this really helps with browning.
To save money, you can use half scallops and half shrimp.
Feel free to sub Creme Fraiche in place of the Greek yogurt.