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It’s third time lucky with Marry Me scallops! This time around, the sensational sauce- a cashmere-cream infused with sweet sun-dried tomatoes, a pinch of chilli and threads of fresh basil, is enrobing exquisitely special scallops. No suitors? No problem! Scoff them all yourself.

That sauce sure does sound familiar. The Marry Me recipes trio is actually based on a typically Tuscan sauce of the same ingredients that can accompany chicken or salmon, or meat-free tortellini. If you’re not big on spice, the Tuscan version skips the chilli as well as the wedding bells.

Close up shot of scallops in creamy marry me sauce

You might know, if you’ve made my prosciutto wrapped chicken Alfredo, that I have an aversion to dining out on Valentine’s Day. And specifically, to the ‘over-priced scallops’ that feature so heavily on said day’s menus!

But I am a romantic at heart- I’m Russian after all! So, I will, of course, celebrate the day, but with reasonably priced frozen scallops at home.

However, Valentine’s day isn’t a pre-requisite for a scallop feast, and neither is a date. In fact, there is really no reason why this couldn’t be a self-indulgent meal-for-one. Self-care scallops, anyone?

Marry Me sauce

So, you tried to coax a proposal out with Marry Me Chicken, and nada. You gave it another shot with Marry Me Shrimp, again, zilch. Well, listen to me, sister, he’s just not the one for you so this time don’t waste a single scallop on that guy!

The ‘Marry Me’ concept may be getting as tired as the old fairy godmother in those outdated tales of princes rescuing princesses, but we just cannot say ‘The End’ to the virtually viral ‘marry me’ recipes! Why not? Because they just taste so darn good, is why not!

And Marry Me sauce over pan-seared scallops stays true to the original sauce recipe; lashings of smooth, ivory cream, the feistiness of garlic and chilli flakes, the sword-sharp stab of parmesan, heady and fragrant fresh basil, and the sweet tenderness of sun-dried tomato.

Top down shot of marry me scallops in a pan with sun-dried tomatoes and basil

How to cook scallops from frozen

Creamy pearl-coloured scallops, like a lot of shellfish, are synonymous with luxury. While the fresh variety can be prohibitively expensive, the frozen kind are relatively affordable- but you still don’t want to get cooking them wrong! The trick is in preparing them for the pan.

First, the thaw. Frozen scallops should be thawed overnight in the fridge. Make a little nest of paper towels inside a container and turn the scallops out into it then pop onto the bottom shelf of the refrigerator (defrosting should take between 10-12 hours). The paper towels will get started on soaking up the melt water straight away.

Make sure you use your scallops within a day or two of defrosting.

Next, the pat. Tip any water in the container away and turn the loosened scallops out onto a plate. Gently pat them dry with some more paper towel. The pat is important step not to be skipped- a soggy, spongy scallop is not going to sear well.

Finally, the sear. Select your pan carefully. I use a This is an affiliate link.stainless steel frying pan big enough to give the scallops some space. An overcrowded pan means the scallops will steam not sauté.

To sear to perfection, they need cooking a minute to two minutes each side. Aim for a caramel crust, but the inside should be burstingly soft.

Close up shot of marry me scallops being scooped out of a pan

Recipe Tips and Notes

The traditional Marry Me recipe uses chicken breast, but we’ve been there, done that, got married. Where do you do from there? Scallops are taking your relationship to the next level.
Serve this extra special creamy scallops dish on an intimate staying-in-date night, or Valentine’s day. Or your birthday, you independent person, you!
If you’re using frozen scallops, as I have, it’s crucial to remove as much moisture from them as possible. The surface needs to be dry to get that golden sear. Use a paper towel to pat them dry and rid them of excess liquid.
Like shrimp, scallops are sensitive. It doesn’t take much to tip them from just-cooked-and- juicy to chewing an eraser. Follow the recipe instructions and you won’t go wrong!
Scallops and pasta sauce is a delicate dish of balanced textures- make sure your sun-dried tomatoes fit the profile. Some can be too hefty and leathery offering too much bite.
Semi-dried or sun-blushed tomatoes tend to be more tender and less overpowering making a more pleasing mouthful.
Use the oil from the jar to sear the scallops in. It’s wonderfully fragrant and will give the scallops a subtle tomato infusion.
I use dry white wine to deglaze the pan. This sauce is rich and luscious, a little acidity can help bring balance.
Serve Marry Me scallops with ribbony pasta or a fresh and bouncy bread to sop up the sauce.

process shots of scallops being seared in a pan and marry me sauce being made in another

Serving suggestions

There’s really no avoiding the romance to this dish, even if you are cooking for one, so make the most of it with a love-infused three-course meal.

I suggest starting light. This bruschetta trio is playful, easy to put together, and brimming with vegetables: eggplant, zucchini, and artichokes.

Serve your Marry Me scallops with long pasta like linguine or spaghetti, or if it’s an early-stages date and you want to avoid the spaghetti and sauce-on-your-face-situation, you could go for less risky baby potatoes.

Lastly, dessert. It’s a date night, so it’s got to be chocolate, right? Chocolate fudge cake with stewed rhubarb is an individual pudding pot that takes no time to prepare and is both decadently rich and blinkingly sharp. So, no-one is drifting off into a passion-killing coma.

Storage and leftovers

This Marry Me recipe is very much in-the-moment. Those scallops are not going to wait until tomorrow- devour them on the day.

Any leftover sauce can be stored in the fridge in an This is an affiliate link.airtight container for 2-3 days. Reheat very gently on the stovetop so the sauce doesn’t split, and pour over freshly cooked pasta or potatoes to re-live the romance.