seafood pasta in lemon butter sauce

Name: Seafood Pasta in Lemon Butter Sauce
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 pound(s) pasta of choice; 1 medium onion, chopped; 4 ounce(s) butter; 1/3 cup(s) olive oil; 1 pound(s) raw shrimp, peeled and deveined; 1/2 pound(s) small raw scallops (or large cut in half); 2 tablespoon(s) minced lemon zest; 1/4 cup(s) lemon juice; 1/4 cup(s) white wine; - salt and pepper, to taste; 1/4 cup(s) toasted pine nuts (or pinole nuts); - grated Romano or Parmesan cheese, to taste

(7 RATINGS)

2.72K Pinches 7 Photos

Sara A

Pasadena, CA

Updated on Nov 11, 2025

This is one of my favorite dishes that my husband and I make together for date night. I always go back for seconds!

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Seafood Pasta in Lemon Butter Sauce in a serving bowl.

Blue Ribbon Recipe

The lemon butter sauce in this seafood pasta is so good. It's a light sauce with a delicious lemony flavor. We love the blend of shrimp and scallops in this dish. They enhance the flavor of the sauce. Easy to prepare, save this for a special occasion (like Valentine's Day or New Year's Eve) or make this when you're craving shrimp and scallops. Serve this seafood pasta with a crispy salad, some warm bread, and prepare to smile.

— The Test Kitchen

prep time 5 Min

cook time 10 Min

method Stove Top

yield 4 serving(s)

Ingredients

1 pound pasta of choice
1 medium onion, chopped
4 ounces butter
1/3 cup olive oil
1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 pound small raw scallops (or large cut in half)
2 tablespoons minced lemon zest
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup white wine
- salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts (or pinole nuts)
- grated Romano or Parmesan cheese, to taste

How To Make seafood pasta in lemon butter sauce

Step 1

Pour a glass of wine for the cook, saving 1/4 cup for the recipe. ;-)

Step 2

Cook pasta in salted water till it's al dente. I make the lemon butter sauce while the water is coming to a boil because the sauce is very quick.
Step 3

Saute onions in butter and olive oil on medium-high heat until tender. Add shrimp and scallops and saute until shrimp just starts to turn pink and is almost done, but not quite. Overcooking the shrimp and scallops makes them very tough. Also, the giant scallops take a long time to cook so I cut them in half to match the cooking time of the shrimp if I can't find smaller ones.
Step 4

Add lemon zest, lemon juice, white wine, salt, and pepper. c=Cook for a few more minutes till bubbly and seafood is done.
Step 5

Pour lemon butter sauce over drained (NOT RINSED) pasta and toss with grated cheese and pine nuts. \Serve and enjoy an amazing seafood pasta.
Step 6

Trader Joe's market has its frozen seafood blend of peeled raw shrimp, scallops, and calamari that I normally use. If you can find a combo bag of shellfish like this at your local market it is both super delicious and easy, just defrost and pour in.
Last Step: Don't forget to share! Post a picture of your finished recipe here and on your favorite social network. Don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes!

Nutrition Facts

(per serving*)

calories: 1105kcal, carbohydrates: 94g, cholesterol: 238mg, fat: 58g, fiber: 5g, protein: 50g, saturated fat: 23g, sodium: 1730mg, sugar: 5g, unsaturated fat: 34g

*Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Nutrition information is estimated.

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