We don’t have sea scallops very often as they are usually expensive to buy here in Colorado, but we decided to splurge and get some over the weekend. We wanted something lite and flavorful, so we did a lemon butter sauce with some garlic and capers. It made for a wonderful treat was satisfying, but wasn’t too heavy. We hope you’ll enjoy it as well.

Ingredients

• 12 – 16 Sea Scallops – about 1 lb
• 1/4 cup Flour
• 1 tsp Paprika
• 1 clove Fresh Garlic – minced
• 1 Lemon
• 1 pinch of Saffron
• 1 tbsp Capers
• 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 4 tbsp Butter
• 8 oz Pasta (Angel Hair, Spaghetti, or linguine)
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

Combine the flour, paprika, salt, and pepper on a plate or shallow bowl.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt and the pasta, and cook according to the package directions.  In a large saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter with the olive oil over medium heat.  Dredge just the flat sides of the scallops in the flour and place them in the pan.  The flour will help to thicken the sauce as well as help to sear the scallops.  Cook the scallops, flipping half way through, until cooked through and golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.  Reserve 1/4 cup of the water from the pasta, then drain the pasta and put the pasta into a bowl stirring in 2 tablespoons of butter.  To make the sauce, add the remaining tablespoon of butter, the garlic, the zest of 1/4 of the lemon, the saffron, capers, and the juice of the lemon to the saucepan that the scallops were cooked in.  Be sure to deglaze the pan drippings into the sauce and simmer on medium-high heat until the garlic and capers are soft, about 3 minutes.  Put the scallops on the pasta and pour the sauce over the scallops.  Serves 4.