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    Delightful Mom Food / Recipes / Meats / Seafood / Creamy Pan Seared Italian Scallops (Dairy-Free)

    Last Updated July 22, 2021. Published April 15, 2021 Danielle Fahrenkrug | This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

    Creamy Pan Seared Italian Scallops (Dairy-Free)

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    Beautifully pan seared Italian scallops with all the flavors of Tuscany in a dairy-free cream sauce ready in 25 minutes! The sauce with garlic mushrooms, sweet sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh spinach are the perfect foil for this shellfish.

    cream sauce coating sea scallops pan seared and garnished with basil in a frying pan

    Why this creamy Italian scallops recipe is so great

    This Italian-inspired creamy sauce is bursting with flavor from sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, greens, and garlic and is a delectable coating for bay or sea scallops. But first, raise your hand if you like a good cream sauce but feel a little guilty or bloated after indulging in it? Now you can enjoy your rich cream sauce without the dairy and it is much healthier and lower in fat than traditional cream-based sauces!

    healthy Tuscan scallops in dairy-free creamy sauce in a pan with mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes

    What ingredients go into this recipe

    • SCALLOPS: Jumbo sea scallops – fresh or frozen (thaw first completely)
    • SAUCE FOR SCALLOPS: vegetable broth, plain unsweetened cashew milk or canned coconut milk, white wine, dairy-free sour cream, and corn starch
    • ITALIAN FLAVORS: mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, salt, pepper, fresh spinach and basil leaves

    How to pan sear scallops

    Use fresh or frozen scallops and pan sear them. If using frozen, make sure they are completely thawed first. Pat dry thawed sea scallops with a paper towel to remove any extra liquid – this step is very important for a nice crisp exterior. In a skillet or cast iron pan skillet let it heat first for about 2 minutes then add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and jumbo sea scallops and cook on medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes per side. Remove the scallops from the pan and set them aside while you make the sauce.

    How to make Tuscan scallops

    STEP 1: Sear the scallops per instructions in the recipe card. You can use frozen or fresh scallops for the recipe, just make sure they are fully thawed before cooking and patted dry with a towel to remove all extra liquid.

    STEP 2: In the same pan, cook the mushrooms over medium heat, stirring, for 5 minutes, or until browned. Then add the garlic and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Stir in the broth, cashew milk or canned coconut milk, wine, salt and pepper.

    STEP 3: In a small bowl, stir together the dairy-free sour cream and cornstarch, then whisk into the skillet. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, and basil and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes, or until the sauce thickens and the spinach wilts.

    The sauce gets thicker as it heats. So, if you make this in advance and heat it later the sauce will be very thick as the liquid has evaporated slightly. You can always add more dairy-free sour cream and broth to thin it down if needed.

    What to serve with this recipe

    We like to eat light dinners that are well-rounded and this Tuscan scallop seafood recipe has protein, vegetables, fat and is a a complete balanced meal in one! To expand on it, serve creamy Italian scallops as a side dish with a fresh salad like this chopped kale salad, or topped over pasta noodles, zucchini noodles, sweet potato noodles, or baked spaghetti squash noodles.

    three pan seared creamy Italian flavored sea scallops on a serving spoon

    Faqs and expert tips

    What scallops are best?

    Sea scallops are nice a large and wonderful for searing in pan sauces. They are the common ones used in most restaurants as well. Bay scallops are bite-sized and smaller and best used in casseroles, pilafs, and quiches.

    How do I thicken the cream sauce?

    If you want to thicken the creamy Tuscan sauce just let it simmer longer before adding the scallops back into the frying pan. You can also add a dash more cornstarch and mix that in.

    More recipes you may enjoy

    • Shrimp and Scallop Pasta In Cajun Garlic Cream Sauce
    • Cold Pasta Salad With Italian Dressing
    • Healthy One-Pan Broccoli Pasta
    • Mushroom Onion Soup
    • Baked Cod in Foil With Grape Tomatoes

    If you make these creamy Italian scallops from Delightful Mom Food I would love to see your creations and share it! Follow along with me on INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, YOUTUBE and TWITTER to be featured and for more recipe inspiration! And don’t forget to rate the recipe in the recipe area and leave a comment below!

    cream sauce coating sea scallops pan seared and garnished with basil in a frying pan

    Creamy Italian Scallops In A Dairy-Free Cream Sauce

    Beautifully pan seared Italian scallops with all the flavors of Tuscany in a dairy-free cream sauce. The sauce with garlic mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach are the perfect foil for this shellfish.
    4.6 from 10 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Entree, Main Course, Main Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Gluten Free, Low Lactose
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 336kcal
    Author: Danielle Fahrenkrug

    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 pound jumbo sea scallops
    • 8 ounces mushrooms sliced
    • 3 garlic cloves minced
    • 1 cup vegetable broth
    • ½ cup cashew milk unsweetened and original flavor or canned coconut milk
    • ⅓ cup white wine
    • ½ teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    • ½ cup dairy-free sour cream (optional to use dairy-free sour cream)
    • 1 tablespoon corn starch (or arrowroot starch for grain-free)
    • 1 cup sun dried tomatoes in olive oil drained and chopped
    • 2-3 cups baby spinach
    • 2 tablespoons basil fresh, chopped
    • 1 lemon

    Instructions

    Seared Scallops

    • Pat dry fresh or thawed sea scallops with a paper towel to remove any extra liquid- this step is key to getting a nice crisp exterior. In a skillet or cast iron pan skillet let it heat for 2 minutes on medium-high heat to warm. Add the olive oil and jumbo sea scallops and cook on medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes per side. Remove the scallops from the pan and set them aside while you make the sauce.

    Creamy Italian Sauce For Scallops

    • In the same pan, cook the mushrooms over medium heat, stirring, for 5 minutes, or until browned. Add the garlic and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Stir in the broth, cashew milk or canned coconut milk, wine, salt and pepper.
    • In a small bowl, stir together the dairy-free sour cream and cornstarch. Whisk into the skillet. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, and basil and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes, or until the sauce thickens and the spinach wilts.
    • Turn the heat to low, add the scallops and serve with a squeeze of juice from the lemon! Serve right away with a side salad or over your favorite pasta noodles or vegetable noodles. 

    Notes

    If using arrowroot starch in place of cornstarch as the thickener, you might need up to 2 tablespoons. Start with 1 tablespoon and work your way to a desired thickness in the sauce.
    The sauce gets thicker as it heats. So, if you make this in advance and heat it later the sauce will be very thick as the liquid has evaporated slightly. You can always add more sour cream and/or broth to thin it down if needed.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 336kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 1222mg | Potassium: 992mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1948IU | Vitamin C: 49mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @DelightfulMomFood or tag #DelightfulMomFood!

    This post has been updated.

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    About Danielle Fahrenkrug

    Danielle Fahrenkrug is the writer and photographer behind Delightful Mom Food. She is a mama of two young boys and loves food, family, friends, and Jesus with a passion for wine, coffee, and cauliflower crusted pizza. Danielle is also the author for Dairy-Free Gluten-Free Baking Cookbook, Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Cookbook, Dairy-Free Cookbook for Kids and is a certified health and nutrition life coach.

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    Comments

    1. Natalie says

      December 29, 2020 at 11:47 pm

      Going to make this tonight! Also think I’m going to add some gnocchi in at the end yum

      Reply
      • Danielle Fahrenkrug says

        December 31, 2020 at 6:58 pm

        That sounds delicious adding the gnocchi!

        Reply

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    Danielle Fahrenkrug | Recipe Developer
    Hi, and welcome to Delightful Mom Food - I am thrilled you are here! Here you will find traditional recipes that I transform into healthier versions the whole family enjoys, because eating healthy should be delicious and mean you can still enjoy your favorite foods! I am a food photographer, writer, 3x cookbook author, and certified health and nutrition life coach.
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