Scampi-Style Steak & Scallops with Roasted Asparagus is an impressive dish and takes only 30 minutes in the kitchen to prepare.
Tenderloin steak seared in butter and finished with scallops in subtle accents of lemon zest, white wine, garlic, and fresh basil is surf-n-turf heaven.
You won’t believe how easy it is to skip crowded restaurants and enjoy a date night dinner at home.
The key is quality ingredients, so choose fresh lemon and herbs, large scallops, and tenderloin steaks—beef tenderloin (the wider end of the loin) or filet mignon (the small, forward end of the loin) is the ideal cut for its tenderness and ease of preparation.
Of course, this recipe works just as well with jumbo shrimp if sea scallops are not available.
Make your Date Night Dinner for Two as stress-free as possible.
Have you ever gone out on Valentine’s Day for a romantic dinner only to be disappointed by the noise level of the restaurant, food that didn’t quite measure up, or felt rushed by the waitstaff to move along for the their next seating?
A romantic dinner for two at home is less hassle and a lot more intimacy.
- Set the table and prep all the ingredients before you begin because the cooking process will take about 20 minutes.
- While the asparagus roasts (recipe below), you will be busy at the stove with the scallops and steak, both should be done about the same time.
- Slice a crusty loaf of bread with this special meal so you can soak up and savor every lemon-garlic-buttery bite.
Scampi-Style Steak & Scallops
Ingredients
For the Steak & Scallops
- 10 ounces beef tenderloin steaks (2 (5 ounce) steaks, 1 1/2-inch thick)
- 1 teaspoon Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 4 ounces sea scallops (6 large scallops, rinse and pat dry)
For the Sauce
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup finely chopped green onions ((about 4 scallions), white and light green part)
- 3 large garlic cloves (minced)
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil (cut into thin strips)
- 1 tablespoon minced parsley
- ¼ teaspoon lemon zest
- Dash hot pepper sauce
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Season steaks with salt and pepper. In a 10 to 12-inch skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat until hot and bubbly (more can be added, if needed). Add steaks to skillet and brown on one side for 4 to 5 minutes. (At this point, begin the sauce in another small, non-reactive skillet or wide sauce pan as described in step 2.)
- Turn the steaks on end and rotate to brown the sides (this will take about 3 minutes), then turn over to brown the final side for 4 to 5 minutes. When turning the steak to brown the last side, add scallops to the skillet to brown at the same time, about 2 minutes on each side.
- To make the sauce in the separate skillet, sauté onion and garlic in 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat 3-4 minutes, until fragrant. Add wine and lemon juice; simmer to reduce slightly, 1-2 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons butter and stir until melted into the sauce. If the steak and scallops are not yet done, slide the sauce off heat until they are ready.
- Once the scallops are browned on each side, stir the fresh basil, parsley, lemon zest, and hot pepper sauce into the scampi sauce. Reduce heat to low, add the scallops, spooning the sauce over the scallops. Once the steaks reach an internal temperature of 125°F (the rare side of medium-rare), add to the pan with the scampi sauce and spoon sauce over the steaks.
- Divide the steaks and scallops evenly between two plates and serve immediately, spooning more sauce over both the scallops and the steak.
Notes
- You'll need two skillets for this recipe so the steak and scallops can cook at the same time as the sauce. I recommend cast iron for the searing the steak and scallops and stainless steel (non-reactive) for the sauce.
- If you are not familiar with scallops, here is a helpful guide to selecting quality sea scallops at Sally's Place.
Nutrition
Asparagus can be roasted on a cast iron pan on top of the stove or in the oven.
Use your blender to make this quick hollandaise sauce for the asparagus.
Roasted Asparagus
Ingredients
- 16 ounces asparagus -- ends trimmed
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Position top oven rack in the middle of the oven, approximately 12 inches under broiler and turn broiler on HI. Prepare asparagus by trimming fibrous ends. Arrange asparagus on a rimmed baking sheet so that each spear is touching the pan and separate. Drizzle with olive oil and roll asparagus to coat well. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Set asparagus under the broiler for 10-12 minutes, checking and turning (rolling 1/4 turn) asparagus every few minutes until lightly browned in spots and crisp tender. Cook slightly longer if a softer texture is preferred.
Notes
Nutrition
Just-as-easy elegant dessert for two:
Try these bite-size Cheesecake Strawberries with Chocolate Accents and pair the best wine with your romantic dinner recipe with these tips from Wine Folly.
Another amazing date night dinner for two is our Amazing Crab Leg Dinner at Home.
Ramona Nolan says
Made this tonight for my hubby after two non-stop months. We worked every night and weekend getting our house ready to be put on the market and it sold in less than 48 hours, then the buyer wanted a two week closing, and then we made an emergency 1300+ mile trip back to Michigan for his dad’s passing. This is the first night we have been together alone and he loved the meal. I added Mojitos (his favorite) and Salted Caramel gelato, chocolate covered strawberry and a piece of toffee to finish it off. He said the meal was perfect. Thank you for sharing! Found this link on Pinterest! Will be following you now!
Judy Purcell says
Hi Ramona! Oh my, I know exactly what you mean about that moment you finally connect after going non-stop during a project … and I’m so sorry for your loss.
Thank you for taking the time to let me know how much you enjoyed this recipe! It sounds like you finished it perfectly with stellar dessert. 🙂
Brittney says
What do you do if you like your steak medium well ..slightly pink ??
Judy Purcell says
Hi Brittney, that is a great question! For medium-well steaks, you will add 1-2 minutes per side, or at a finishing internal temperature between 142-145°F (measuring with an instant-read thermometer is ideal). And wait an extra minute to add the scallops. Once the steaks reach an internal temperature of 142°F (the medium side of med-well), add to the pan with the scampi sauce for another minute and spoon sauce over the steaks.
Let me know if this helps! Enjoy!
Jackie Deg says
the link for the hollendaise sauce does not work..it goes to ina gartens site but when I search for a sauce she has none???
Judy Purcell says
Jackie, thanks so much for letting me know! It is now fixed. 🙂
Eve says
OMGGGGGGG Made this for Christmas Dinner tonight– with a side of white cheddar potato gratin, and it was absolutely steak house heaven quality!! Hubby is over the moon!! (Did the sauce and asparagus a little ahead of time, which let me focus on the steaks and scallops at the time.
Thanks for this delicious recipe– it was FAB!!
Judy Purcell says
Oh Eve, thank you so much for taking the time to stop back by and let me know how much you liked it! I like your side dish idea of white cheddar gratin — yum! It makes my day to know one of my recipes brought people together. 🙂
James says
Loved it! I cooked this to a T for my girls(wife and daughters) for date night… in remembrance of titanic (20years) PERFECT meal for a perfect occasion…. thank you
James
I have a photo to share if you want
Judy Purcell says
James, I would love it if you’d share your photo on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SavoringToday/ I am delighted it was part of a memorable night with your girls. 🙂
Alexis says
I’ve wanted to do a surf-and-turf dish for a while but have always been a little intimidated by shellfish. This didn’t take too, it was fairly straightforward. The sauce I thought was really good. My only critique and you can ignore it if you want because I eventually figured it out, and maybe if I read through a couple of times I’d have been fine, but going from step 2, to step 4. Moving from the sauce pan to the scallop pan was a little confusing to me. I’m not used to cooking with that much butter so I wasn’t sure if we were going to use the leftover stuff in the scallop pan at all, or not. So I was a little confused, and I don’t usually read well ahead, I just start cooking and read as I do it. So it could very well be all on my end.
Overall really liked the recipe, thanks for giving us something simple and delicious.
Judy Purcell says
Hi Alexis! Thank you for taking the time to thoughtfully provide such detailed feedback — I would never ignore comments from my readers. I’m sorry you experienced confusion while preparing the recipe, I will give it my best effort to refine and make that part more clear. Again, thanks for letting me know and helping me make Savoring Today recipes better. 🙂
I am so glad you enjoyed the dish!
Agness of Run Agness Run says
Amazing recipe! I am definitely trying this scallops, they look so delicious!
Judy Purcell says
Thanks Agness! I do hope you’ll come back to let me know how you like it. 🙂
Amelia says
This was delicious and impressive. Lots of extra sauce to go on the veggies. Was easy to prepare after I got all of the ingredients ready and had them on the side. Thank you!
Judy Purcell says
Hi Amelia, thank you so much for taking the time to stop by and let me know about your experience! I am so glad you enjoyed it and above all I hope it helped make a memorable connection with someone you love. 🙂
John/Kitchen Riffs says
Love scallops! In fact we’re going to have them for a first course tomorrow night. 🙂 This looks great — nice dinner for two.
Mandy says
What a magnificent meal for any occasion. Pete and I always fit in a special meal when he is home. With him away so often, we make our own special occasions. 🙂
Have a lovely day
sharlena spencer says
where does the amount of the onion come in? I see nothing about it.
Judy Purcell says
Oh my gosh, Sharlena, the onion was missing! Thank you for catching that — not sure how it happened, but I’m glad it’s fixed. 🙂
Joyce Ann Staples says
O M G!!! How delicious does that look. I am running to the super market as we speak…large scallops are on sale and so are the steaks…MMMMMMM…can’t wait to get home and cook.
Judy Purcell says
Oh Joyce, please do let me know how you liked it! Happy day when scallops AND steak are on sale. 🙂
Selena says
When I originally commented I clicked the “Notify me when new comments are added” checkbox and now each
time a comment is added I get three e-mails with the same comment.
Is there any way you can remove me from that service? Many thanks!
Judy Purcell says
Hi Selena, sorry for the multiple email thing, but I don’t think it’s coming from a subscription on this end as I don’t see any subscriptions to the comments on this post. You might try deleting the subscription in your ‘manage subscription’ area to resolve it. Sometimes WordPress can be glitchy with subscriptions, sorry that I don’t see it on my end.
Lizzy (Good Things) says
Wow, how on earth did I miss this!? (We were away, so I guess that’s why). This is my kind of food! xox
Judy Purcell says
Hi Lizzy, I know what you mean, to me it is the perfect meal. Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Johnny says
Great dish,I make a variation of this often ,like very much tour version and your blog
Alea Milham says
What a lovely and delicious dinner! I really love how quickly this comes together. We usually eat in on special evenings too, it is so much more intimate.
April @ The 21st Century Housewife says
This is a perfect romantic dinner – especially as it is so quick and easy to prepare. The flavourings and fresh herbs you have used are really lovely, and it all looks so delicious. Thank you for sharing this post with the Hearth and Soul hop.
Amy (Savory Moments) says
What a lovely looking dinner! I bet it was wonderful.
Caroline says
Holy cow, Judy, that plate of food looks amazing! But really, I can’t stop staring. Those scallops are stunning…and I agree with Greg, love how buttery they look! mmm mmm
Greg says
We had steak and asparagus too. But oh boy those scallops. I love how buttery and fresh everything looks.
sportsglutton says
Hi Judy…I’m finally home and have the time to catch up with my friends in the blog-o-sphere.
That is the perfect picture that shows off the beauty of this dish. Absolute perfection…in my gluttonous opinion. 😉
Sammie says
What a lovely Valentine’s dinner! Nothing tastes better than food cooked with love!!!
mjskit says
What a great surf and turf Valentine’s Day dinner! Tons better than what you could have gotten if you had gone out. Love your scampi sauce!
mjskitchen says
Great new pictures Judy! It still looks as delicious as it did 5 years ago. Need to send it to the husband so he can make it for me. 🙂
Christina @ Sweet Pea's Kitchen says
I love scallops!! This looks like the perfect Valentine’s dinner! 😀
Georgia @ The Comfort of Cooking says
Judy, this is lovely! I truly can’t think of a more enticing, romantic meal than this plate of steak, scallops and asparagus. It looks so mouthwatering! I hope you had a nice Valentine’s Day.
Karen (Back Road Journal) says
A very lovely surf and turf presentation for V day or any special occasion.
Geni says
What a fabulous preparation for scallops. I usually make more of a citrus sauce but this scampi style looks delectable!
Sawsan says
What an elegant looking meal!
I love all the flavors and colors in it Judy and the fact that it is so quick and easy takes it over the top
Linda says
Absolutely perfect! I love this dinner and it is such a special, romantic meal. What’s even better is that you don’t need to be in the kitchen for hours!! I’m definitely planning to make this soon!
[email protected] says
Thanks for linking your great post to FAT TUESDAY. This looks delicious as usual! Hope to see you next week!
Be sure to visit RealFoodForager.com on Sunday for Sunday Snippets – your post from Fat Tuesday may be featured there!
http://realfoodforager.com/fat-tuesday-february-14-2012/
ChgoJohn says
This is a great looking dish, Judy, and yo’re so right about using high quality ingredients. Anything less and the dish really suffers.
I wanted to thank you for suggesting I go to Costco for bufala mozzarella. That place never ceases to amaze me. I bought some and tonight’s dinner of eggplant parmesan will be all the better because of it. Thank you!
Judy says
Hi John, I am so glad you found it! No doubt, dinner will be delicious at your house. They have a good quality prosciutto too, just made caprese bites wrapped in it for an appetizer last weekend for a party–so good! Look forward to seeing an eggplant Parmesan post …
Heather @girlichef says
Gorgeous! I can almost smell it…those pictures are so amazing. I’m a lover of surf and turf – and I may just have to make this tonight. Delicious.
Judy says
Thanks Heather, you’re so sweet! If you do make it, I’d love to know how you liked it … always editing and adjusting recipes over here. 🙂
Raymund says
Really nice surf and turf dish! look at that I can take my eyes out of it
Catherine says
My husband has been wanting me to learn to cook scallops. I’ll have to try this.
Catherine
(Click here to enter my anthropologie kitchen tools giveaway.)