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Pan-Seared Scallops with Lemon Butter
and cauliflower gnocchi / spinach salad

Active: 40 Total: 40

We last featured scallops in a meal plan back in 2019. Many members of our community commented that this was their first time making scallops at home, but they loved how easy they are to cook. A sauce made with butter, lemon juice, and capers adds great flavor to the dish. This time around, we're serving the scallops with paleo-friendly cauliflower gnocchi. 
Smarts: The keys to a golden brown crust on the scallops are getting them very dry before cooking them and not crowding the pan in which they cook. 

Tags
Proteins
Cuisines

Ingredients

Metric
Servings:
4
Pan-Seared Scallops with Lemon Butter and Cauliflower Gnocchi:
  • Shallots - 1 clove , diced
  • Capers - 1 Tbsp , drained and rinsed
  • Sea scallops, medium-sized - 1 lb (sub peeled and deveined shrimp)
  • Oil, cooking - 1 Tbsp + 1 Tbsp
  • Cauliflower gnocchi - 12 oz (sub cauliflower florets)
  • Butter - 3 Tbsp
  • Thyme, dried - 1/2 tsp
  • Lemon juice - 1 Tbsp
Spinach and Apple Salad:
  • Vinegar, apple cider - 1 1/2 Tbsp
  • Mustard, Dijon - 2 tsp
  • Oil, olive - 3 Tbsp
  • Apples - 2 , chopped
  • Baby spinach - 8 oz
  • Pecan halves - 1/4 cup

Prep

  1. Shallots / Capers - Prep as directed. Store separately. (Can be done up to 5 day ahead)

  2. Vinaigrette - Whisk together vinegar and mustard. Add olive oil while whisking. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)

  3. Apples - Chop apples.

  4. Scallops - Pat scallops with paper towels until very dry. Season on both sides with some salt and pepper.

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Make

  1. Pour vinaigrette into a large serving bowl. Top with spinach, apples, and pecans. Wait to toss until right before serving.

  2. Heat a large skillet with first part of cooking oil over medium-high heat. Add cauliflower gnocchi (no need to defrost first) to heated oil. Cook gnocchi, stirring frequently, until deep golden brown on the outside and cooked all the way through, 8 to 10 minutes. Season with some salt.

  3. Transfer gnocchi to a serving bowl and return skillet to heat.

  4. Add second part of cooking oil and then scallops to heated skillet. Let scallops cook, without moving them, until deep golden brown on one side, 3 to 4 minutes.

  5. When scallops are golden brown and release easily from the pan, flip them to the other side. Add butter, shallots, thyme, and capers to the pan. As the scallops cook, tilt the pan and use a spoon to scoop and pour the flavorful butter over top of the scallops (this is a chef move that will flavor the scallops and help them to cook evenly). Continue cooking until scallops are cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes more.

  6. Remove scallops from heat and squeeze lemon juice over top.

  7. Arrange scallops over cauliflower gnocchi and pour lemon butter over everything.

  8. Toss salad.

  9. Serve scallops and cauliflower gnocchi with salad on the side. Enjoy!


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