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    Home » Seafood

    Scallop Fra Diavolo

    Published: Sep 26, 2017 · Modified: Nov 21, 2023 · 8 Comments

    This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jump to Recipe Save Recipe Saved!
    Scallop Fra Diavolo is made with tomato sauce tossed with spaghetti and seared spicy sea scallops. Serve it as a delicious date night dinner!

    This decadent scallop fra diavolo is made with an easy, homemade spicy tomato sauce and seared sea scallops. Perfect for date night!

    Scallop pasta recipe: seared scallops over a bed of pasta

    I did not grow up eating scallops.  

    For a long time, the only thing I knew about scallops was that sometimes they showed up in my meals at Red Lobster.  And that is all I knew.

    A few years back, as my experience with seafood grew, and I started experimenting with different types of fish and shellfish, I grabbed some sea scallops on a whim.

    And then, I fell in love.  

    This scallop pasta recipe is a twist on the spicy shrimp fra diavolo, and features seared and spicy sea scallops served with pasta.

    Looking for more sea scallop recipes? Try seared seared sea scallops with wine sauce, grilled scallops with bourbon sauce, pumpkin scallop alfredo, and pumpkin scallop gratin.

    Spicy Seared Sea Scallop Fra Diavolo with Pasta in a Pasta Serving Plate.

    What Does Fra Diavolo Mean?

    Fra diavolo is Italian for "brother devil" or "devil monk," and refers to a spicy pasta sauce or seafood.

    Apparently those monks liked their spice. Smart fellas.

    You can vary the combinations a little bit, as in this mixed seafood fra diavolo.

    Do I Want Bay Scallops or Sea Scallops?

    Bay scallops are tiny, and very difficult to sear. 

    For this recipe, look for the larger sea scallops.

    Make sure to read the ingredient label, and avoid sea scallops with chemical additives.  Chemically treated sea scallops won't sear well.

    Learn more about buying scallops, and get searing tips in this How to Pan-Sear Fish guide.

    Looking for more high-end shellfish recipes?  Try grilled lobster tails with bourbon, crab Louie salad, Dungeness crab egg Benedict, king crab salad with avocado dressing, and crab fries.

    Can I Make This Gluten-Free?

    You can!

    Simply swap the spaghetti for gluten-free spaghetti.

    Making Fra Diavolo Sauce

    Start by cooking onions, red chili flakes, and garlic in olive oil in a large pan. I use this Lodge 12" carbon steel skillet.

    Cook Onions, Peppers + Garlic in Oil.
    Cook Onions, Peppers + Garlic in Oil

    Next, add canned or fresh tomatoes to the pan along with water and dried oregano.

    Frozen tomatoes work perfectly here too, but you should thaw them before placing in the pan. The tomatoes in the photos are fire-roasted tomatoes that I made last summer and froze for later.

    Add Tomatoes, Water + Oregano.
    Add Tomatoes, Water + Oregano

    Simmer the tomato sauce until it thickens and most of the liquid has evaporated.

    Simmer Fra Diavolo Sauce Until Thickened.
    Simmer Until Thickened

    How to Sear the Scallops

    While the sauce simmers, start cooking the pasta and get the scallops ready. Wait until the sauce is almost ready to sear the scallops.

    To make seared scallops, you'll melt a little butter (and a little oil) in a heavy pan.

    Then, take the scallops, which you'll have patted dry and tossed with salt and seasoning, and add them to the pan.

    Make sure to leave a little room around each scallop when you set them in the pan. If they're too close to each other, the liquid from the scallops will prevent a good sear.

    Cook the scallops for about two minutes and flip, and then another two minutes.

    sea scallops in a cast iron pan.
    Flip, and Sear Again

    Plate the Scallop Fra Diavolo

    Finally, put it all together.

    Toss the pasta with the sauce until it's well-coated.

    Fra Diavolo Sauce in a Pan with Pasta.
    Toss Pasta with Sauce

    Plate the pasta and divide the scallops.

    Finally, it's time to dig in and enjoy! Serve your scallops along with a shaved brussels sprouts salad and a glass of red wine.

    Spicy Seared Sea Scallop fra Diavolo with Pasta in a Pasta Serving Plate.
    These Spicy Seared Sea Scallops with Pasta is an easy and quick Date Night dinner, featuring sea scallops tossed in spices and seared to perfection!
    Print Recipe Save Recipe Saved!
    5 from 8 votes

    Scallop Fra Diavolo

    This decadent scallop fra diavolo is made with an easy, homemade spicy tomato sauce and seared sea scallops. Perfect for date night!
    Author: Sarah Trenalone
    Prep Time5 minutes mins
    Cook Time30 minutes mins
    Total Time35 minutes mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Italian
    Servings: 2 people
    Calories: 966kcal
    Freezer Friendly?
    No
    Will It Keep?
    No
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • large heavy skillet (12-inch minimum)

    Ingredients

    Fra Diavolo Pasta:

    • ¼ cup olive oil
    • 1 onion, diced
    • 2 teaspoons red chili flakes Use less for a milder sauce
    • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
    • 4 garlic cloves, diced
    • 2 pounds fresh tomatoes (diced) or 28oz can diced or crushed tomatoes
    • 1 cup water
    • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
    • ½ pound spaghetti Use gluten-free spaghetti if needed

    Scallops:

    • 7 ounces sea scallops (3-5 per person, depending on the size of scallops) dry-packed, no chemical additives* (See Recipe Notes)
    • 1 tablespoon butter
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
    • ¼ teaspoon cayenne powder (optional)
    • fresh basil, torn (optional garnish)

    Instructions

    Fra Diavolo Sauce:

    • Add the oil, onions, chili flakes and salt to a large, shallow pan. (Use a 12" pan or larger, see recipe notes.) Cook the onions over medium heat until they begin to brown (~5 min).
      Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute, or until the garlic is fragrant.
      Cook Onions, Peppers + Garlic in Oil
    • Add the tomatoes, water, and oregano to the pan. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer.
      Add Tomatoes, Water + Oregano
    • Simmer the tomatoes for 20-25 minutes, or until most of the water has evaporated and the sauce has thickened.
      Taste the sauce and add more chili flakes, salt, or oregano if desired. Simmer 1-2 more minutes if you added more seasoning.
      Simmer Fra Diavolo Sauce Until Thickened
    • While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Cook spaghetti according to package directions.
      Add the cooked spaghetti to the pasta sauce and toss to coat.
      Fra Diavolo Sauce in a Pan with Pasta

    Sear Scallops:

    • Heat butter and oil in a heavy-bottom pan on high heat and allow to melt, but not brown.  If butter starts to brown or smoke, lower heat slightly.
      Pat scallops dry (they won't sear properly if they're still damp). Toss with a little salt, garlic powder, and cayenne (if using).
      Add scallops to the pan, and let them sit on one side for 2 minutes per side, until each side is golden brown. 
      sea scallops in a cast iron pan
    • Divide pasta between two plates, and then divide the scallops between the dishes (3-5 per plate).  Garnish with fresh basil if desired.  Serve immediately.
      These Spicy Seared Sea Scallops with Pasta is an easy and quick Date Night dinner, featuring sea scallops tossed in spices and seared to perfection!

    Notes

    Serves: This serves two people generously.  For more modest portions, store half the pasta sauce for later and use ¼ lb. spaghetti.
    Pan Size: Some readers have reported that their 12″ pans were too small for the volume of sauce. You may find a heavy Dutch oven works best for you, although I’ve always had success with my 12″ carbon steel pan.
    Prepare Ahead: The sauce can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated for 4-6 days, or frozen and used within a year.
    Sea Scallops: Look for "dry-packed" or "chemical-free" scallops.  Some scallops contain added plumping agents, and these scallops won't sear well.
    Smoother Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes: Canned tomatoes are peeled, and will yield a smoother sauce with less texture.  If you’re using fresh tomatoes and want an extra-smooth marinara, you have two options:
    1.  Peel the tomatoes first.  Use a knife to mark an X on each tomato, and then blanch them in boiling water until the tomato peel loosens (~15-30 seconds).  Peel, and then proceed with the recipe.  Crush tomatoes with your hands instead of dicing.
    2. Blend the sauce.  After cooking, add the sauce to a blender or use an immersion blender to blend the peels into the sauce.
    Varieties of tomatoes: For the thickest sauce, use San Marzano tomatoes (or other varieties of Roma tomatoes).  However, this recipe works well with juicy tomatoes also.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 966kcal (48%) | Carbohydrates: 115g (38%) | Protein: 32g (64%) | Fat: 43g (66%) | Saturated Fat: 9g (56%) | Cholesterol: 39mg (13%) | Sodium: 1094mg (48%) | Potassium: 1693mg (48%) | Fiber: 11g (46%) | Sugar: 18g (20%) | Vitamin A: 4653IU (93%) | Vitamin C: 68mg (82%) | Calcium: 113mg (11%) | Iron: 4mg (22%)
    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!

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    About Sarah Trenalone

    Sarah is the primary creator at Champagne Tastes. She's a photographer, food writer and traveler, and is certified in Backcountry Kitchen and Backcountry Navigation from the Colorado Outward Bound School and Identifying Wild Plants from Backpacker.

    5 from 8 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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    Comments

    All commentsI made this
    1. Megan says

      April 25, 2016 at 11:13 am

      5 stars
      Thanks for all the great tips on scallops! I've never cooked with them before, mostly because I didn't know how to buy them. You made it so easy!

      Reply
      • champagne-tastes says

        April 25, 2016 at 11:17 am

        Glad I could help!

        Reply
    2. Caroline says

      March 10, 2017 at 9:33 pm

      5 stars
      That's so interesting about the wet vs. dry scallops! I never even knew that was a thing! No wonder my scallops didn't sear last time!

      Reply
    3. Dawn - Girl Heart Food says

      September 28, 2017 at 1:34 pm

      5 stars
      What a perfect sear on those scallops, girl!! And you can't beat a quick dinner like that. This one would be awesome for busy weekdays OR a special Friday night with some vino 🙂

      Reply
    4. Louise says

      November 24, 2020 at 2:28 pm

      5 stars
      Quick, easy and tasty!

      Reply
      • Sarah Trenalone says

        November 24, 2020 at 2:29 pm

        I'm so glad you loved it! Thanks for letting us know 😀

        Reply
    5. P C says

      July 28, 2024 at 5:24 pm

      5 stars
      Being fortunate enough to live on the island of Newfoundland, I have access to fresh off the dragger, scallops. I wanted something different and my company likes spicy so I gave this a whirl. I subbed hot-house tomatoes as I got given them and they needed to be used. I brought the sauce to a boil, transferred it to the instant pot, as I needed the 12” cast iron. And sautéed about a cup of broccoli. It turned out very well, thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Alisha Trenalone says

        July 28, 2024 at 8:10 pm

        Fortunate indeed! Sounds like you're all set with the scallops in your part of the world. Thanks for letting us know you enjoyed the recipe 😊

        -Alisha at Champagne Tastes

        Reply
    bio

    Hi, I'm Sarah! I'm a traveler who loves to eat.   Follow along to join me on my next adventure-- in food or on the road.

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