This Lime Capellini is comforting and so fresh; the best of both worlds! With zesty lime, olive oil, white wine and a no-compromise mix of zucchini and pasta, this one will be on rotation all year long! This simple yet elegant dish, topped here with seared scallops, is one of my favourite meals to make.
Just when I didn’t think I could love pasta any more, I go and add wine and lime to it. Behold! This Lime Capellini is one of my favourite pastas. It’s light and herbaceous, with fresh lime flavour and tender scallops on top. Hidden zucchini adds pops of colour, texture and extra nutrition without making the pasta feel ‘too healthy’ (you know what I mean). I love this dish, and cook it on a regular basis for guests as it takes mere minutes to throw together!
Make sure that all of your ingredients are prepped before you start cooking as it comes together quickly!! It can be served with sautéed prawns or scallops, as a side dish to fish or chicken or of course, all on its own. My friend Charles (not my husband) taught me how to make this while I was staying with him and his partner in Brazil many years ago – what a stunning corner of the world for the record! We loved this so much that we included it in the cookbook too!
Pairing Wine With Food
Pairing wine with food is one of my favourite things to do, and a good wine has the power to truly transform the flavours of a dish (I adore sipping on Sandhill Wines and their Pinot Gris goes beautifully with this dish). If you share my passion check out our brand new coloured Fraîche Wine Print. It’s the perfect addition to your home, wine cart, bar, that speaks to the the relationship between wine and food in a fun, cute way.
Is Capellini the Same as Angel Hair Pasta?
They are similar, but angel hair pasta is even thinner than capellini. It would work as a great substitute if you can’t find capellini at your grocery store. And if you must, you could also use spaghetti or spaghettini if you can’t find either type. It won’t be the same thin texture but it would do the trick.
Why Do You Need to Salt Your Pasta Water?
Cooking the pasta in salty water allows it to absorb some of the salt as it cooks, enhancing its flavour from the inside out! It really will taste better than pasta that was only seasoned at the end (great chefs recommend seasoning your dish at every stage of the cooking process). The general guideline is to add a tablespoon of salt per gallon of water (or per pound of dry pasta), but you can flex the amount. Note that the pasta doesn’t absorb all of this salt. I have read to use non-iodized salt for this. I can’t say that I’ve ever been able to tell the difference, but thought I would pass this along!
Why Do You Need to Save Your Pasta Water?
Pasta water is liquid GOLD! Don’t throw it out! This the magical liquid is perfect for adding velvety texture to your sauce. It adds starch back to your pasta which brings a luxuriously smooth element to your sauce without having to add extra fat. I like to remove my pasta from the water with tongs to make saving the pasta water that much easier.
Lime Capellini with Seared Scallops
Lime Capellini with Seared Scallops
This lime capellini is the best of both worlds! Filled with healthy olive oil, zesty lime, zucchini and of course, pasta and wine! You can double the pasta and skip the zucchini noodles if you wish.
Ingredients
For the Pasta
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup finely diced shallots (1 medium)
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup dry white wine ( I used Sandhill Pinot Gris)
- 250 grams capellini pasta*
- 4 cups spiralized zucchini noodles*
- 4 teaspoons grated lime zest (from 2 limes)
- 2-4 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)
- 1 cup chopped flat leaf parsley (loosely packed)
- 2/3 cup freshly grated parmesan (plus extra for serving)
- salt and pepper to taste
For the Scallops
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 12-15 large scallops, patted dry
- 1 large clove garlic, smashed**
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
For the Pasta
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Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and prep all of your ingredients: this dish comes together quickly so have them stove-side.
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In a large heavy bottomed frying pan, heat the 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and saute until the shallots are transparent, about 2-3 minutes.
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Add the crushed garlic and sauté until transparent and fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic, about 1 minute. Add the white wine and continue to cook until it’s reduced by half.
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While the sauce reduces, add the pasta to the water and sear the scallops (see below): don’t throw out your pasta water.
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Once the wine has reduced, add the zucchini noodles to the garlic wine pan and toss. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce along with the lime juice, lime zest, parsley and grated parmesan and toss gently with tongs, adding pasta water to loosen the pasta as needed. Season with salt and pepper and serve topped with the seared scallops, parsley and extra parmesan.
For the Scallops
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Heat a separate large frying pan over medium-high heat and season the scallops with a sprinkle of salt.
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Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the butter over medium-high heat along with the smashed garlic clove to the pan and once the butter has melted, cook the scallops on each side until golden brown. Be careful not to overcook the scallops or over-crowd the pan (repeat this step if necessary to cook all of the scallops). Place the scallops on top of the finished pasta and serve!
Recipe Notes
*you can double the pasta and skip the zucchini noodles if desired
**to smash a garlic clove simply place the flat side of the blade of a chef's knife on top of the clove and push down with the heel of your hand
This looks amazing and I will be adding it to my menu!!! Unfortunately, I won’t be able to make with shellfish as my husband is allergic but chicken works…
Honestly, honestly, honestly … Tori made this dish for us and it was so amazing, I want it for every special occasion from here on! Salivating just thinking of it ~ perfect in everyway!!! Thanks Tori!
Thanks mom xoxo
Just made this and it was incredible!! Can’t wait to try the breakfast popsicles that are in the freezer too!
Wonderful thanks Miriam!!!
This sounds so yummy thanks for sharing!!!😊
Hi Tori,
I’m so looking forward to trying this recipe. I have tried many of your recipes and have loved them all.
I may be missing it entirely but …where does the 1 large clove garlic smashed go in?
Thank you for your help
Hi Veronica, so sorry, it goes in with the butter when you sear the scallops!
Hey, This Lime Capellini w/seared scallops…. OMG the best summer pasta recipe ever! A great way to use zucchini and add veg to dinner. So so yummm!
So good in fact that I ordered your and Jill’s new cookbook and copies for both my daughters.
So glad you enjoyed it!
The tip about saving the pasta water and WHY is so awesome!
I’ve only been doing this the past few months. It has saved me adding so much cream/butter.
Will have to try this with scallops. We ❤️ Scallops. A little pricey here but Aldi has some large frozen ones that do the trick. I love a good golden sear but it’s so hard bc I get nervous I’ll overcook and flip too soon! 🤦🏻♀️
Hi Kristina! I know right? Pasta water is liquid gold! Scallops are always a bit stressful to cook but boy are they worth it – just remember high heat and only 1-2 minutes per side! This dish would also go great with shrimp, a piece of salmon or other seafood! I hope you enjoy. Tori
Watched your live on the various Sandhill wines and really enjoyed it. The pasta dish looked amazing and I am definitely going to make it. BUT, that dessert ..OMG!! It looked so good. Where can I get the recipe?. Will look to make it this weekend.
Delicious and it was ready to eat so quickly, before my husband even made it home!xD will definitely try it again with prawns next time, scallops didn’t come out like they should of. Thanks for recipe