Scallops Florentine

Bay scallops folded into a buttery spinach cream sauce with pasta shells and baked under a Parmesan crust until the scallops just turn opaque. This is Florentine cooking at its most indulgent.

The technique of using spinach stems and leaves separately is clever. The minced stems sauté with garlic in butter for a full eight minutes until completely soft, creating a smooth, savory base that the cream reduces into. The coarsely chopped leaves go in later and cook just three minutes, keeping their color and some texture instead of melting into green mush.

Reducing the cream by half before adding the spinach leaves concentrates it into something thick enough to coat the pasta and scallops without turning watery during baking. Nutmeg and white pepper are the quiet seasonings that make this taste distinctly Florentine rather than generically creamy.

Bay scallops are the right call here. Their small size means they cook through evenly in the 10-12 minute bake without the risk of rubbery, overcooked edges that larger sea scallops can develop in a casserole format. They also nestle into the pasta shells, giving you scallop in every forkful.

Pro Tips

• Cook the pasta just to al dente. It will soften further during baking, so starting firm prevents a mushy finished dish.
• Rinse and drain the bay scallops thoroughly. Excess water from the scallops will thin out the cream sauce.
• Use freshly grated Parmesan for the topping. Pre-grated contains anti-caking agents that prevent proper browning.
• Serve immediately from the oven. The cream sauce thickens and tightens as it cools, going from silky to gluey.

Variations

• Shrimp Florentine: Replace bay scallops with peeled medium shrimp for a different seafood take.
• Lighter version: Swap half the cream for whole milk and reduce butter to 3 tablespoons. Still rich, just less decadent.