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Creamy Tuscan Scallops are rich, indulgent, and guaranteed to impress. Perfectly seared scallops turn golden and crisp on the outside while staying melt-in-your-mouth tender on the inside, then get swirled into a luscious buttery cream sauce with garlic, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and plenty of parmesan.

This Tuscan scallops recipe is a restaurant-worthy dish you can easily make at home. It’s cheaper than dining out, just as satisfying as chef-made creamy scallops, and a family favorite every time. Serve over pasta for comfort food bliss or pair with buttery mashed cauliflower for a lighter, keto-friendly option.

Garlic Butter Creamy Tuscan Scallops in a buttery cream sauce filled with garlic, spinach, sun dried tomatoes and parmesan cheese!

What Makes This Recipe Work

Creamy Tuscan Scallops are everything you want in a weeknight dinner—quick, comforting, and packed with flavor. The scallops get a beautiful golden sear before being simmered in a creamy sauce loaded with garlic, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and parmesan. It’s a Tuscan scallops recipe that tastes like it came straight from a restaurant kitchen.

What Goes Into Creamy Tuscan Scallops

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Flat lay photo of ingredient shot of salted butter, garlic, onion, sun dried tomato, white wine, salt, heavy cream, scallops, baby spinach leaves, parmesan cheese, pepper, Italian herbs, fresh parsley

The scallops shine as the star of the recipe, while the creamy Tuscan sauce brings everything together with bold, irresistible flavors.

  • Scallops: Tender and buttery, they sear beautifully to create a golden crust while staying juicy inside.
  • Sun Dried Tomatoes: Packed with concentrated flavor, they add a sweet-tangy bite that balances the richness of the cream.
  • Baby Spinach: Fresh spinach wilts gently into the sauce, adding a pop of color and a light, earthy taste.
  • Parmesan Cheese: Freshly grated parmesan melts into the cream sauce, giving it a savory depth and luscious texture.

Note: Please see recipe card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients with measurements.

How To Make Creamy Tuscan Scallops

 Pat the scallops very dry with paper towels so they sear, not steam.
  1. Prep and Dry: Pat the scallops very dry with paper towels so they sear, not steam. Lightly season both sides with salt and pepper right before cooking.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high until hot and sizzling. Add a thin film of olive oil and swirl to coat the surface evenly.
  1. Heat the Pan: Heat a large skillet over medium-high until hot and sizzling. Add a thin film of olive oil and swirl to coat the surface evenly.
Add scallops in a single layer without crowding. Sear 2 to 3 minutes until a golden crust forms
  1. Sear the Scallops: Add scallops in a single layer without crowding. Sear 2 to 3 minutes until a golden crust forms, then flip and cook 2 minutes more.
Reduce heat to medium and melt the butter in the same pan.
  1. Rest While You Sauce: Transfer seared scallops to a warm plate to catch their juices. Reduce heat to medium and melt the butter in the same pan.
Sauté onion until soft, about 4 minutes; add garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in white wine.
  1. Aromatics and Deglaze: Sauté onion until soft, about 4 minutes; add garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in white wine, scrape browned bits, and reduce by half.
Stir in sun dried tomatoes and the reserved teaspoon of their oil; cook 1 to 2 minutes. Lower heat, add cream, and simmer gently.
  1. Tomatoes and Cream: Stir in sun dried tomatoes and the reserved teaspoon of their oil; cook 1 to 2 minutes. Lower heat, add cream, and simmer gently; season to taste.
Add spinach and stir until just wilted. Sprinkle in parmesan and Italian herbs
  1. Wilt and Enrich: Add spinach and stir until just wilted. Sprinkle in parmesan and Italian herbs; simmer 1 minute until the sauce thickens and turns silky.
Return scallops and any juices to the pan and toss gently to coat.
  1. Finish and Serve: Return scallops and any juices to the pan and toss gently to coat. Garnish with parsley and serve over pasta, rice, zoodles, or cauliflower mash.

For a cozy, Italian leaning spread, pair your Creamy Tuscan Scallops with Caprese Garlic Bread to swipe up every drop of sauce. Add One Pot Orzo Primavera for a light, veggie dotted pasta that mirrors the creamy, garlicky flavors without overpowering the scallops.

If you want something brighter and still low carb, go for Grilled Bruschetta Portobello Mushrooms. The smoky caps and tangy tomato balsamic topping cut through rich, creamy scallops and add a fresh bite without feeling heavy.

Recipe FAQ’s

Can I Use Frozen Scallops?

Yes. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then pat very dry so they sear, not steam. Choose dry-packed sea scallops for the best crust and remove the small side muscle if attached.

What Can I Use Instead Of White Wine?

Use low-sodium chicken broth with a teaspoon of lemon juice or a splash of white wine vinegar. Deglaze the pan and scrape up the browned bits for flavor.

How Do I Keep The Sauce From Splitting?

Lower the heat before adding cream, simmer gently, and add parmesan off the heat in small handfuls. Avoid boiling and whisk in a spoon of reserved sun-dried tomato oil for a silky finish.

Scallops with a fork
4.98 from 35 votes

Creamy Garlic Butter Tuscan Scallops

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Creamy Garlic Butter Tuscan Scallops coated in a light and creamy sauce filled with garlic, sun dried tomatoes and spinach! Packed with incredible flavours!
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Ingredients 
 

  • 28 oz scallops
  • 2 tablespoons salted butter
  • 4 cloves garlic finely diced
  • 1 yellow onion small, diced
  • 1/2 cup white wine optional
  • 5 oz sun dried tomato strips in oil, drained, reserve 1 teaspoon of the jarred oil for cooking
  • 1 3/4 cups heavy cream or half and half, SEE NOTES
  • 1 pinch salt to taste
  • 1 pinch pepper to taste
  • 3 cups baby spinach leaves washed
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese fresh grated
  • 2 teaspoons dried Italian herbs
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped

Instructions 

  • Thoroughly pat scallops dry with paper towels.
  • Heat olive oil in a large pan or skillet over medium-high heat until hot and sizzling. Add the scallops in a single layer without over crowding the pan (work in batches if needed). 
  • Season with salt and pepper to taste and fry for 2-3 minutes on one side (until a golden crust forms underneath), then flip and fry again for 2 minutes until crisp, lightly browned and cooked through (opaque). Remove from skillet and transfer to a plate.
  • Melt butter in the pan. Sauté onion until soft (about 4 minutes). Add in the garlic and sauté until frangrant (30 seconds). Pour in the white wine (if using), and allow to reduce to half, while scraping any bits off of the bottom of the pan. Add the sun dried tomatoes and cook for 1-2 minutes to release their flavours.
  • Reduce heat to low-medium heat, add the heavy cream (or half and half) and bring to a gentle simmer, while stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to your taste.
  • Add in the spinach leaves and allow to wilt in the sauce, then add in the parmesan cheese. Allow sauce to simmer for a further minute until cheese melts through the sauce.
  • Stir in herbs through; take pan off the heat and add the scallops with their juices into the pan. Mix through slightly before serving.
  • Serve over pasta, rice, zoodles, caulfilower mash, cauliflower rice or steamed veg.
    Enjoy!

Notes

Half and half is an American product, made from equal parts light cream and milk. Feel free to use half light cream and half 2% milk (or full fat if not worried about calories and fat counts), in place of half and half. Alternatively, use light cream or reduced fat cream.
If serving with pasta: add in pasta cooked al dente along with 1/4 cup of reserved pasta water into the pan of scallops once they are cooked. Gently mix through the sauce until combined. Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Calories: 714kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 53g | Saturated Fat: 31g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 189mg | Sodium: 1.177mg | Potassium: 1.291mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 4.477IU | Vitamin C: 47mg | Calcium: 301mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Tried this? Leave a comment below!

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4.98 from 35 votes

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49 Comments

  1. Donna says:

    5 stars
    Yummy! Have made this several times. Also good with chicken or shrimp.

  2. Mike Curgenven says:

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious recipe. Rich, tasty and easy to make. Perfect for top quality fresh scallops. Served mine with fusilli.

  3. Donna says:

    5 stars
    This is so yummy! I have made this numerous times. You can easily substitute the scallops with chicken or shrimp.

  4. Nicole Pasikowski says:

    5 stars
    Super yummy! I even screwed up and put the onion in after the wine and was able to recover.

  5. TRACIE says:

    5 stars
    Absolutely incredible depths of flavor! We cook all the time and this recipe is a keeper. Not fans of sundried tomatoes so we omitted, didnt bother with topping with cheese, and served over linguine. We loved so much my mother made it the next day with shrimp. Would be good with chicken too, or salmon.

    1. Karina says:

      I’m so happy to hear you loved this recipe Tracie!

  6. Colette G says:

    5 stars
    I made this for New Year’s Eve dinner tonight. I cook a lot and have for years and I honestly think that this is the best thing that I’ve ever made! I found beautiful scallops on sale and I pretty much followed the recipe to a T. Served it over angel hair pasta and toasted with champagne. Why go out for New Year’s Eve when the food is better at home? 🙂

  7. Amy says:

    5 stars
    Excellent recipe. So much flavor. I love pan seared scallops and was looking for something more unique I followed the recipe exactly. Cooking the scallops in batches. Didnt bother with cheese at the end because it was so good and recipes love to put cheese on everything. Served with mashed cauliflower. I’m going to try it with chicken next

  8. Bobbie Ballard says:

    5 stars
    I made this today. When I’m home alone I try to find me things to cook that I would like to cook for others. I have to say it was awesome! Very easy and very tasty. I’ll definitely make it again.