Seared Scallops with Spaghetti Squash

July is almost over which means my wedding anniversary is coming up! My husband and I will be married for 6 years this July 28th and in celebration, I wanted to share this fancy little recipe with you! Seared scallops are one of my absolute favorite dishes. I love how they don’t require many ingredients to whip up because they naturally offer an amazing flavor, not to mention a tender, buttery texture. In addition to that, scallops are rich in protein and B-12 (yay, for mood-boosting food!), plus a great source of iron and calcium.

How to Make Seared Scallops with Spaghetti Squash:

I roasted the spaghetti squash in the oven for 40 minutes or until tender at 400 F. To prepare the squash for roasting, cut it in half lengthwise and scoop the seeds out. Drizzle the halves with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, then place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper face down before putting it in the oven.

Before cooking your scallops, pat them dry using a paper towel – this ensures a deliciously crispy outer crust. Season one side of the scallops with a few sprinkles of good quality salt like Celtic sea salt or pink Himalayan salt.

Get your skillet and fire up the stove to medium-high to high heat (I had the stove dial set to 7, but use your best judgment depending on your stove. Just know the skillet needs to be HOT). Let your skillet sit on the burner for 1-2 minutes before adding the olive oil or butter. Once you add the oil or butter let that sit until you see a little smoke starting to rise from the skillet. That’s your sign to put the scallops on.

Arrange them in a circle along the outer edge of the skillet. Scallops don’t take long to cook; about 90 seconds per side should be sufficient (and maybe even less if your scallops are smaller). Once the 90 seconds are up carefully flip them using tongs. Let them cook for another 60-90 seconds and use them to top your spaghetti squash noodles.

I drizzled the spaghetti squash noodles with a mixture of olive oil, chopped basil, chopped pine nuts, and nutritional yeast (parmesan can be used if you don’t tolerate dairy).  I love adding fresh greens whenever I make this recipe. My personal favorites are baby arugula and spinach. If you don’t care for spaghetti squash noodles as a side, zucchini noodles or turmeric coconut rice taste equally amazing with scallops!

 

 

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Seared Scallops with Spaghetti Squash

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★★★★★

5 from 4 reviews

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 50 minutes
• Total Time: 55 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x

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Description

Enjoy an upscale meal in the comfort of your own home with this simple yet elegant dish.

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Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 1 lb of scallops
• 1 spaghetti squash
• 3 tbsp avocado oil
• sea salt, to taste
• optional; fresh basil leaves, pine nuts, nutritional yeast

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Instructions

Spaghetti Squash:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Drizzle the halves with olive oil and season with sea salt and pepper (omit pepper if unable to tolerate).
3. Place the halves face down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and roast the squash in oven until tender (about 40-45 minutes).
4. Once the spaghetti squash is done and cooled off, use a fork to scrape the “noodles” from the squash and place in a bowl. Set aside.
5. In a blender combine 2 tbsp of olive oil and 5-6 fresh basil leaves. Process until basil leaves are finely chopped.
6. Drizzle over spaghetti squash noodles and top with pine nuts and nutritional yeast (optional).

Scallops

1. To prep the scallops, pat them down with a paper towel and season one side with sea salt.
2. Heat up a skillet over high heat (I had my stove dial set to 7) for 1-2 minutes. Add 1 tbsp of avocado oil (or grass-fed butter if you can tolerate dairy) and swirl it around the pan.
3. Once the oil on the pan starts to smoke a little bit, carefully add the scallops one by one. Spread them out in a circle on the outer part of the pan (refer to the picture above).
4. Cook scallops for 90 seconds, then carefully flip using tongs and cook 60-90 more seconds.
5. Serve on top of spaghetti squash noodles with arugula and enjoy!

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Notes

 Approx. 11 FPs per serving: 4 large scallops, approx. 1.5 oz each = 6 FP’s, 1 cup of spaghetti squash = 5 FP’s. – FP stands for Fermentation Potential and is used to determine the symptom potential in foods for those using the Fast Tract Diet to heal/improve symptoms of GERD, LPR, SIBO, IBS, etc.

 The spaghetti squash serving size can be reduced or substituted with zucchini noodles if you want a meal lower in FP’s.

• Category: Mains
• Cuisine: Seafood

Keywords: seared scallops, scallops, spaghetti squash, paleo, grain-free

Disclosures:

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

This recipe was created following the guidelines of the Fast Tract Diet; a protocol I’ve used to personally help reduce my chronic acid reflux (GERD) symptoms. Keep in mind that a food one person may be able to tolerate, another may have trouble tolerating. Adjust recipes according to what fits your individual health needs.