Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Creamy Garlic Butter Scallops with Prosciutto
Scallops and a garlicky cream sauce are a good excuse to pay attention to dinner for a change. The salty prosciutto gives you a little contrast against the sweet scallops.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 20 min
- Original yield
- Serves 2
- Ingredients
- 12 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Dinner · Lunch
- Primary protein
- Pork · Seafood
- Cuisine
- American
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
A few quick notes
1. Give the scallops room
Lay the scallops in a single layer so they can take on a little color. They only need a short sear on each side, then they come out while the prosciutto and sauce get going.
2. Use the same skillet
Keep the skillet going after the scallops come out. The prosciutto fries in that same pan, then the butter and garlic go in, which builds the sauce without extra steps.
3. Salt at the end, if needed
Prosciutto can bring plenty of salt on its own, so taste the sauce before adding more. The recipe already starts the scallops with salt and pepper, then leaves the final seasoning to you.
Get to know the ingredients
Scallops
Check the scallops before seasoning. If you see a small rectangular side-muscle attached, pinch it and pull it away. Some scallops already have it removed, so don't worry if there's nothing there.
Prosciutto
Roughly chopped prosciutto crisps up in the skillet and seasons the sauce as it cooks. Because it's salty, go carefully with any extra salt once the cream and wine are in.
White wine
The wine goes in with the cream and cooks briefly before the scallops return. If you'd rather skip it, use chicken or vegetable stock instead.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 2. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 5 steps completeMake room for Creamy Garlic Butter Scallops with Prosciutto
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Serve as soon as it's garnished
Once the scallops are back in the sauce, finish with parsley and green onion and bring it to the table right away. The scallops have already had their sear, so the last step is really just sauce, garnish, and serve.
A little more help as you go
Shrimp works here too
You can use shrimp in place of the scallops, with the same prosciutto, garlic butter, cream and wine sauce and a quick finish.
Don't overwork the sauce
After the cream and wine go in, the sauce only cooks briefly before the scallops return. That's enough time to bring it together without leaving the scallops waiting too long.
A few questions you might have
Do I need to cook the scallops all the way through during the first sear?
No. Sear them until they're slightly golden, then move them to a plate. They go back into the skillet after the sauce has cooked briefly.
Why take the scallops out of the skillet?
It keeps them from sitting in the pan while the prosciutto crisps and the garlic butter sauce starts. They return at the end, once the sauce is ready for them.
Should I add all the salt listed?
Season the scallops first, then be cautious later. The directions note that the prosciutto may be salty enough, so the sauce might not need more salt.
What should I do if my scallops have a little tough tab on the side?
Pinch the side-muscle with your fingers and tear it away before cooking. If you don't find one, it's probably already been removed.
Can I skip the wine?
Yes. Use chicken or vegetable stock instead if you don't want to cook with wine.
Any more cooking tips?
You can substitute some chicken or veggie stock if you don’t want to use wine. This recipe can also be used for shrimp If your scallops have a side-muscle (a little rectangular tag of tissue on the side of the scallop), pinch it with your fingers and tear it away. Don’t worry if you can’t find it, mine came with the side-muscle already removed.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: jocooks.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
