Scallop Spaghetti in White Wine Sauce

Ingredients:

White Wine Sauce
1  tablespoon butter
1  tablespoon olive oil
4  cloves garlic minced
1 cup white wine
1  cup  heavy cream
¼ cup Parmesan cheese shredded
2  tablespoons  capers  drained
1  teaspoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
Salt to taste

Pasta
8 oz spaghetti

Seared Scallops
1  pound scallops  medium size, about 12-14 scallops, thawed completely if frozen
¼  teaspoon salt
2  tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

How to make white wine sauce:
In a medium skillet, heat butter, olive oil and minced garlic on medium heat.
Cook for about a minute, until garlic softens.
Add wine.  Bring to boil.  Boil for several minutes until the amount of wine reduces approximately to half.
Add heavy cream and Parmesan cheese.  Bring to boil, and immediately reduce to simmer. Simmer for a couple of minutes, stirring at all times, until the sauce thickens a bit.
Remove from heat.  Stir in drained capers and freshly squeezed lemon juice.  Season with salt and pepper.  Taste, add more lemon juice, salt and and pepper if needed. Keep covered.

Pasta:
Cook spaghetti according to package instructions until al dente. Drain. Add to the sauce, stir to combine.

How to sear scallops:
If using frozen scallops, make sure the scallops are thawed completely.
Blot each scallop with paper towels to remove extra water.
Season scallops with salt
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet on high heat until hot but not smoking. Oil should not be smoking, just rolling easily around the skillet.
Add scallops without overcrowding the pan.
Sear on one side for about 4 minutes until the scallops are a golden color. Don’t move the scallops around the pan in the beginning.
Turn the scallops to the other side and cook for 2 or 3 more minutes.
Remove from heat and transfer the scallops to the plate immediately.
Don’t allow the scallops rest in the hot skillet, off heat.  That will make them steam and lose their crust.
Add cooked scallops to the spaghetti with the creamy white wine sauce and reheat gently. Serve.

I await your comments! Enjoy!