Black angel’s hair with scallops is a quick seafood pasta of ink-black capelli d’angelo, tender scallops, garlic, red chili and white wine, ready in about 20 minutes. It feeds 4 and works for a dinner that looks far fancier than the effort it takes.
Why This Recipe Works
The scallops cook in hot olive oil for just 1 minute with the garlic and chili. Scallops turn rubbery fast, so a short sear keeps the centers soft and sweet. The oil also picks up the garlic and chili, and that flavored oil becomes your sauce.
The white wine goes in right after the scallops. It lifts the browned bits off the pan and gives the sauce a light, sharp edge. That edge keeps the olive oil from tasting heavy against the sweet shellfish.
Angel’s hair is very thin, so it cooks in only 3 to 4 minutes. Tossing the drained pasta straight into the pan lets it soak up the oil and wine. Every strand carries flavor, and nothing is left behind on the plate.
Black Angel’s Hair with Scallops Ingredients
- 14 ounces fresh scallops, cleaned (or 8 large or 16 small)
- 6 tablespoons virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 small red chili pepper, finely chopped
- 2/3 cup dry white wine
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
- 13 ounces dried black capelli d’angelo or spaghetti
- Salt, to taste
How To Make Black Angel’s Hair with Scallops
Prepare the scallops
- Slice the scallops: With large scallops, pull off the coral and cut the white meat into 4 slices. Small scallops stay whole, so they cook evenly.
Make the sauce
- Fry the scallops: Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, chili, white meat and corals, and fry gently for 1 minute. Keep the heat low enough that the garlic doesn’t scorch.
- Add the wine: Pour in the white wine, then stir in the parsley and salt to taste. Take the pan off the heat if the pasta isn’t ready yet.
Cook the pasta and finish
- Boil the pasta: Cook the pasta in salted boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes, until al dente, then drain. Spaghetti takes a little longer, so follow the package time for it.
- Toss and serve: Add the drained pasta to the scallop mixture and mix well, so every strand is coated. Serve right away while the pasta is hot.
Recipe Tips
- Dry the scallops: Pat them with a paper towel before they hit the pan. Wet scallops steam instead of fry, and they won’t take on any color.
- Watch the clock: Scallops need only about 1 minute in the oil. Cook them longer and they turn tough and chewy.
- Find the black pasta: Black capelli d’angelo is colored with cuttlefish ink and sold in good Italian food shops. Regular spaghetti works if you can’t find it, though the dish won’t look as dramatic.
- Have everything ready: Angel’s hair cooks in minutes. Chop the garlic, chili and parsley before you start so nothing waits on you.
What To Serve With Black Angel’s Hair with Scallops
Serve this pasta right from the pan in warm shallow bowls, with a glass of the same dry white wine you cooked with. A simple arugula salad with lemon on the side keeps the meal light.
How To Store
- Fridge: Keep leftovers in a covered container for up to 1 day. Scallops don’t hold well, so eat this one fresh when you can.
- Reheat: Warm it gently in a skillet over low heat with a splash of water until hot all the way through. Skip the microwave, which makes the scallops tough.
FAQs
Can I use regular spaghetti instead of black pasta?
Yes. The recipe works with spaghetti, and it will take slightly longer to cook than angel’s hair. You lose the dark color and the faint taste of the sea that cuttlefish ink adds.
What is black capelli d’angelo made of?
It is thin Italian pasta colored with cuttlefish ink. Look for it in the best Italian food shops.
Can I use frozen scallops?
Frozen scallops can work if you thaw them fully in the fridge and pat them very dry. The recipe was written for fresh scallops, so fresh gives the best texture.
Why do my scallops turn rubbery?
They overcooked. Scallops need only about 1 minute in the hot oil. Keep the heat gentle and pull the pan off the burner if the pasta isn’t ready.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving (1 of 4), worked out from the ingredients.
- Calories: about 650 kcal
- Total Fat: 28g
- Total Carbohydrate: 68g
- Dietary Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 28g
Black Angel’s Hair with Scallops
4
servings10
minutes10
minutes20
minutesInk-black angel’s hair pasta tossed with tender scallops, garlic, red chili, parsley and white wine. A fast seafood dinner for 4 that comes together in the time it takes to boil the pasta.
Ingredients
14 ounces fresh scallops, cleaned (or 8 large or 16 small)
6 tablespoons virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
1 small red chili pepper, finely chopped
2/3 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
13 ounces dried black capelli d’angelo or spaghetti
Salt, to taste
Directions
- Slice the scallops: With large scallops, pull off the coral and cut the white meat into 4 slices. Small scallops stay whole, so they cook evenly.
- Fry the scallops: Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, chili, white meat and corals, and fry gently for 1 minute. Keep the heat low enough that the garlic doesn’t scorch.
- Add the wine: Pour in the white wine, then stir in the parsley and salt to taste. Take the pan off the heat if the pasta isn’t ready yet.
- Boil the pasta: Cook the pasta in salted boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes, until al dente, then drain. Spaghetti takes a little longer, so follow the package time for it.
- Toss and serve: Add the drained pasta to the scallop mixture and mix well, so every strand is coated. Serve right away while the pasta is hot.
