Shrimp and Scallop Pasta with Orange Cream Sauce will soon become your favorite seafood pasta recipe. Tender seafood drenched in a creamy orange sauce and served over fettuccini noodles. A lovely seafood recipe for date night or entertaining.
Top Tip: Cooking Scallops: A perfect seared scallop should have a golden crust on the outside and soft and tender in the middle. Over cooked scallops or shrimp will have a rubbery texture. Don’t be afraid, it’s quite easy. You’ll find tips below.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
If you love shrimp and scallops and a good creamy pasta recipe, you’re going to love this elegant pasta dish.
- Easy: This is a restaurant quality meal that’s easy enough for a beginning cook and interesting enough for the seasoned home chef.
- Flavor: The sweetness of the shrimp and scallops are a very good pairing for a cream sauce that’s laced with garlic, shallots, orange juice and vermouth.
- Fancy Sauce: The sauce is easy to make and ready in about 20 minutes. It reminds me of a orange Fettuccini Alfredo Sauce.
- Pan Seared: The shrimp and scallops are lightly floured then pan seared, which only takes a few minutes. This all can be done while the pasta is cooking and it’s ready to plate before you know it.
- New Kitchen Skill: And if you’ve never learned how to “supreme” an orange, you’ll add a culinary skill to your repertoire.
You can expect a tremendous amount of deliciousness and a creamy texture that makes this recipe irresistible and a beautiful, fancy feel pasta recipe for entertaiing.
Let’s take a look.
Table of contents
Orange Cream Sauce Ingredients For Shrimp Scallop Pasta
- Vermouth: Dry vermouth can be used in many ways in cooking. Use it to deglaze a pan and in this case adding an herbal and slightly sweet flavor to this shrimp and scallop pasta.
- Orange: We’ll use both orange juice for the cream sauce and and orange wedges for the final presentation.
- Shallots: I can’t tell you how often and how many of shallots we used in Culinary school. A very versatile ingredient. Chef’s like shallots because they’re sweater than onions, and add a more delicate flavor.
- Heavy Cream: Will add a luxurious element to the sauce for this recipe. This is not the time to skimp on fat calories and try and use milk.
- Pasta: I like Fettuccine noodles for this recipe. You can also use spaghetti, bucatini noodles, or even delicate angel hair pasta. Stick with the longer shapes for ease in eating.
Step by Step Instructions
This isn’t a difficult recipe to make, however, it’s also not one of those bing – bam – on the table in a jiff meals. Here’s how to peel and clean an orange fancy like a professional chef.
- Step 1: How To Supreme An Orange. Which means slicing off the skin and pith so those oranges will show beautifully when sprinkled over the finished pasta. It’s easy. Just cut off the top and the bottom of the orange. Then stand the orange upright and with a sharp chef knife, start at the top of the orange and slice the skin off, including the white membrane. Slice slices by cutting in between the membranes. Voila, perfect beautiful slices of citrus. Then lift out the orange wedges. Hey look, you’re a restaurant chef!
- Step 2: Prep the seafood: Place the shrimp and scallops in a large bowl. Sprinkle with flour and use a spoon to toss to coat the seafood pieces.
- Step 3: Cook The Shallots: In a sauce pan melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Once the butter is melted and bubbles start to subside, add shallots and cook until tender, about two minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Step 4: Start cooking fettuccine noodles according to package ingredients. Continue with the sauce: Pour vermouth over shallots and garlic, bring to a simmer and reduce by ½. About 3 minutes.
- Step 5: Add orange juice and simmer until reduced by ⅓, about 5 minutes.
- Step 6: Make The Orange Cream Sauce: You can keep it warm on the stovetop while finishing the meal. Add the heavy cream to the sauce ingredients and simmer for about 10 minutes. Set aside and keep warm.
- Step 7: Sear scallops and shrimp: In a heavy bottomed skillet add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium high heat. When the butter is hot and the bubbles start to subside, add the scallops, standing up. Brown the scallops, this will take 2 – 3 minutes and then with tongs, turn them over. Then add the shrimp. Cook until the shrimp are golden brown and the scallops are cooked through. About another 2 – 3 minutes.
- Step 8: Plating and Garnish: Drain the pasta and return to pan. Pour the orange cream sauce over the pasta and with tongs, turn to mix well. To serve, place the pasta into your favorite pasta bowls and top with the scallops and shrimp dividing them evenly between the bowls. Sprinkle on the orange slices and chopped fresh basil or dried basil.
Pro Tip: Always choose good quality scallops. Some store bought scallops are soaked in a phosphate solution which plumps them up with water with also increases the price. It’s important to look for scallops that are labeled “dry” or “dry packed”. A phosphate soaked scallop can taste soapy. A dry packed scallop will sear quicker and and beautifully.
Tips For Success On Searing Delicate Seafood
- Searing Scallops and Shrimp: Don’t be afraid of heat, and choose a cast iron skillet or a French Carbon Steel Skillet. Both are excellent tools that distribute heat very well and will create a lovely brown sear on delicate seafood. Don’t use a non-stick skillet. They’re notorious for not getting hot enough to create a good sear. Save non-stick skillets for scrambled eggs.
- Always start with dry scallops and shrimp. Use a paper towel to pat them dry before flouring and searing.
- When time to turn the scallops, turn them in the order in which you placed them in the pan. Use the same method once the shrimp are ready to turn.
- Don’t overcrowd the skillet. Leave space between the pieces of meat. Overcrowding will cause steam to form and will compromise a good sear.
Resource: I love my French Carbon Steel Pan. It’s lighter weight than a cast iron skillet and easier to manage. Like a cast iron, it can go from stovetop to oven, which is great for searing steaks or seafood then finishing in the oven. I’ve provided an Amazon link for your convenience. If you purchase the Carbon Steel Pan through this link, I receive a small commission with no extra charge to you.
Variations and Flavor Ideas:
- Add some Baby spinach. Add the spinach to the pasta right before you add the orange cream sauce. The spinach will wilt very quickly and add a beautiful green color to the presentation.
- Add Some Spice: Add a few shakes of red pepper flakes to add some spicy heat.
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerator: Store any leftovers in air-tight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I like to store seafood separate from the leftover pasta.
- Reheating: To reheat, the 50% power feature on your microwave is your friend. Gently reheat single serving portions of the pasta in 30 second increments. Then top with very gently reheated shrimp and scallops.
- Freezer: I’m not a fan of freezing creamy leftovers. The texture of the fatty sauce will be compromised when defrosted.
What To Serve It With
- This is a hearty meal, so a simple tossed salad would be ideal. Try a simple bowl of greens with my recipe for Sweet Red Wine Vinegar Salad Dressing. A side of steam asparagus topped with grated parmesan would work well here, or some crusty bread.
- Wine: One of my favorite white wines to serve with pasta is a Vermentino. It’s a dry, medium bodied white wine with crisp acidity. It’s a great partner for orange and a good wine to cut through the richness of the cream sauce. A lightly oaked Chardonnay is also a good choice.
FAQ’s
Gentle heat is the quick answer. You can also add a splash of chicken broth or white wine before reheating.
Scallops: Dry them off, get the pan nice and hot, then cook undisturbed until the bottom has a nice golden crust, about 2 – 3 minutes. Flip and cook another 2 – 3 minutes. Shrimp are easier: Add them to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally until they become pink and opaque. Watch them closely, as an over cooked shrimp will lose it’s delicate texture.
Recipe for Shrimp and Scallop Pasta with Orange Cream Sauce
I hope you give this recipe for creamy shrimp scallops pasta a try. It’s truly one of my favorite pasta recipes on my site. And what a treat to find a creamy reason to prepare scallops and shrimp. And as far as shrimp and scallop pasta recipes go, this is got to be at the top of the list for being “the best”.
More Creamy Pasta Recipes
And the most popular recipe in my Pasta Recipes Category, Flemings Steakhouse Mac and Cheese. Add some steamed lobster meat to this one for an elegant seafood pasta dinner.
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Shrimp Scallop Pasta With Orange Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 good squeeze Fresh lemon juice
- 12 jumbo Shrimp peeled and deveined
- 12 Sea scallops
- 3 Tablespoons All-purpose flour to dust the seafood
- 4 tablespoons butter divided
- 2 small shallots fine chopped
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- ¼ cup dry vermouth
- ⅔ cup orange juice
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon basil dried, or 4 fresh leaves chopped
- 1 orange supreme cleaned and separated into wedges
- 1 pound Fettuccini cooked according to package instructions
Instructions
- Supreme the orange. Remove skin and pith and divide into wedges, set aside.
- Squeeze a little lemon juice on shrimp and scallops; toss them lightly in flour. Set aside.
- In a sauce pan melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Once the butter is melted and bubbles start to subside, add shallots and cook until tender, about two minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Pour vermouth over shallots and garlic, bring to a simmer and reduce by ½. About 3 minutes. jAdd orange juice and simmer until reduced by ⅓, about 5 minutes. Add the heavy cream and simmer for about 10 minutes. Set aside and keep warm.
- In the meantime, cook the fettuccini noodles according to package directions.
- When the pasta is well underway cooking, heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. When the butter is hot, add the scallops, standing up. Brown the scallops, this will take 2 – 3 minutes and then with tongs, turn them over. Then add the shrimp. Cook until the shrimp are golden brown and the scallops are cooked through. About another 2 – 3 minutes.
- Drain the pasta and return to pan. Pour the orange cream sauce over the pasta and with tongs, turn to mix well.
- To serve, place the pasta into your favorite pasta bowls and top with the scallops and shrimp dividing them evenly between the bowls. Sprinkle on the orange slices and chopped basil.
Notes
- Searing Scallops and Shrimp: Don’t be afraid of heat, and choose a cast iron skillet or a French Carbon Steel Skillet. Both are excellent tools that distribute heat very well and will create a lovely brown sear on delicate seafood. Don’t use a non-stick skillet. They’re notorious for not getting hot enough to create a good sear. Save non-stick skillets for scrambled eggs.
- Always start with dry scallops and shrimp. Use a paper towel to pat them dry before flouring and searing.
- When time to turn the scallops, turn them in the order in which you placed them in the pan. Use the same method once the shrimp are ready to turn.
- Don’t overcrowd the skillet. Leave space between the pieces of meat. Overcrowding will cause steam to form and will compromise a good sear.
Nutrition
Shrimp Scallop Pasta With Orange Cream Sauce. ..It’s whats for dinner.
Why Trust My Recipes? I am a Culinary School Graduate and a lifelong student of home cooking. I hope to inspire you try to cook as often as you can. I’ve been cooking for 50 years, and my recipes are tried and true tested and tested and then tested again before published. To read more take a look at my About Page.
This recipes looks amazing! Thanks for sharing.
I love this recipe / menu for so many reasons! It’s the perfect amount of food for two, the ingredient list is simple and the timing is laid out very nicely! I will definitely try this at home. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Vickie. I’m waiting to hear from Cauleen to see if I left anything out. 🙂
I’m not sure where she got the recipe, we loved it.
Lea Ann