this vegan “scallop” lemon butter pasta is truly an incredible meal! made with hearts of palm instead of scallops it is so delicious.
the inspiration
To be honest there was no huge source of inspiration for this vegan “scallop” lemon butter pasta. I was scrolling around on Pinterest and saw some dishes with scallops. Then, I thought it would be fun to make a vegan scallop dish.
I also was thinking of Valentine’s Day and romantic dishes. For some reason pasta is always on my mind when it comes to romantic meals. Giving it the vegan scallop element was to make it feel a bit fancier than just a vegan lemon butter pasta.
So, here we are with an easy to make but impactful dinner recipe! I think you will truly love this one.
the ingredients
- Hearts of Palm: this is our vegan scallop! Hearts of palm are a delicious vegetable that makes a really great replacement for seafood.
- Pasta: you can use any pasta you like for this recipe. If you are gluten free feel free to use a gluten free pasta. To make this recipe a bit more fancy I went with malfadine, a beautiful, ruffled pasta. I do think for this recipe a long pasta like fusilli col buco, bucatini, spaghetti or cappellini works best here.
- Lemon: of course for a lemony butter pasta we need lemon. I would highly suggest using fresh lemons as the flavor is much better than lemon juice in a bottle.
- Onion: adds flavor and a bit of sweetness to the dish. I am using a Vidalia onion/
- Garlic: adds flavor to the pasta.
- Olive Oil: this is good for sautéing the onion and garlic.
- Vegan Butter: the vegan butter adds fat to the dish and helps to make the hearts of palm a bit more decadent. I am using Country Crock olive oil plant butter.
- Vegan Parmesan: the vegan parmesan helps to add some saltiness and flavor to the sauce. It also will help to thicken it a bit. I am using Follow Your Heart.
hearts of palm
If you don’t know what hearts of palm are, you are in for a whole new world! Hearts of palm are a delicious vegetable that are harvested from the inner core of certain palm trees.
They are usually sold either in a can or in a glass jar filled with a brine. Their taste is a bit salty, briney, and reminds me somewhat of an artichoke heart. Due to the their texture it makes a great replacement for seafood.
I have used hearts of palm to make other delicious vegan seafood dishes like vegan fish tacos and vegan ceviche. You should be able to find hearts of palm at most food stores in the canned vegetable section.
buying ethical hearts of palm
While hearts of palm are delicious there is an aspect of it I feel is important to discuss. Because hearts of palm are harvested from the inner core of certain trees it is important it is taken from a tree with multiple stalks. This allows the tree to regenerate and grow again. If it is taken from a tree with a single stalk it ultimately kills the tree.
If you want to read more about the process of harvesting VegNews did a great article on it with a lot of wonderful information. A great brand to buy that is committed to harvesting the hearts of palm ethically is Native Forest. Of course, there are multiple brands that are committed so just be sure to do your research.
layering flavors
The most important part of this simple vegan “scallop” lemon butter pasta, is that the flavors are layered. First, we will start by sautéing the onion and garlic in olive oil. This of course allows beautiful flavor to be developed right away. The onions are sweet, while the garlic is of course garlic.
Then, we will add in some vegan butter and our cut up hearts of palm. This allows the hearts of palm to take on some flavor of the onion and garlic. It also adds in fatiness to the vegetable because of the vegan butter and oil.
Let the hearts of palm cook on all sides for 5 minutes per side. Allowing the hearts of palm to get a nice browning on them creates a bit of caramelization, flavor, and of course enhances the texture.
creating the sauce
Once our heart of palm scallops are browned and beautiful you will remove them from the pan. If you scoop out a few pieces of onion and garlic that is okay but you want to keep them in the pan as much as you can.
Into that pan you will squeeze in the juice of two lemons. I always prefer fresh lemon juice as lemon juice in a bottle tends to taste not the best. Along with the lemon juice you’ll add in more vegan butter, vegan parmesan, and some starchy pasta water.
STARCHY PASTA WATER
The water from pasta contains starches which helps to make the sauce stick better to the pasta. You can use this with any sauce and pasta.
finishing the pasta
Once your pasta is just about done cooking, I like to take it out 1 to 2 minutes before it is done, you can then put it in your sauce. The lemon butter sauce is very light but is flavorful. It is just a light coating on the sauce, don’t expect it to be very heavily coated in the sauce,
Toss the pasta around to coat it evenly. Of course, you will taste your pasta and make sure you like the flavor. If you want to add in any extra seasonings now is your time do it.
If you like you can either put all of the vegan scallops back into the pasta and mix them around. Or you can add the pasta to a bowl or plate, then top with the vegan scallops. The second way makes for a bit more of a pretty presentation.
more pasta recipes
why you’ll love this Vegan “Scallop” Lemon Butter Pasta
Whether you are vegan or not this recipe is just so fun! It is a great way to eat a different vegetable and it has so much flavor. The pasta dish is easy enough to make for a weeknight dinner but also special enough for special occassions.
Also, it is pasta, who doesn’t love pasta?! During the winter this is a treat because it is filling but it is great for summer too because of the light flavor.
Vegan “Scallop” Lemon Butter Pasta faq
- Is this recipe gluten free? As long as you use gluten free pasta, yes.
- Is this recipe nut free? As long as you use nut free vegan butter and vegan parmesan cheese, yes.
- Is this recipe soy free? Yes.
- How long will the leftovers last in the fridge? Up to 4 days.
- How can I reheat it best? You can either microwave it or warm it on the stove in a pan or pot.
- What is the name of the pasta shape? Mafaldine.
- What can I have on the side of this? I think a simple salad or roasted veggies is delicious on the side. You can also have it with some bread.
- I can’t find hearts of palm, can I replace it? I have seen a lot of people make a vegan scallop out of King Oyster mushrooms.
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Vegan Scallop Butter Lemon Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ medium (about 3 ounces) Vidalia onion, chopped
- 4 to 5 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 can (14 ounces) hearts of palm
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter divided
- 8 ounces pasta of choice
- 2 medium lemons about 9 ounces
- 2 teaspoons vegan parmesan
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a pan sauté the onion and garlic in oil over medium low heat for 5 minutes or until fragrant.
- Meanwhile, chop the hearts of palm into thirds or quarters depending on how big you want the “scallops” to be.
- Place them in the pan along with 1 tablespoon (14g) of vegan butter. Cook each side of the hearts of palm for 3 to 5 minutes over medium high heat to brown them. I personally like them better the longer they are cooked. You can also sprinkle some salt over them to add a little extra flavor.
- Once the hearts of palm are just about done being cooked bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook your pasta to 1 to 2 minutes under al dente on the box.
- Remove the hearts of palm from the pan and place in a separate bowl or dish.
- Squeeze in the juice of 2 lemons into the pan that still has the remaining onion and garlic. Then add in the other tablespoon of vegan butter, vegan parmesan, and ⅓ cup (80ml) of pasta water. Cook over low heat for 5 to 7 minutes. Prior to adding the pasta I saved a few tablespoons
- Once the pasta is done add it in the sauce and toss to coat. Taste the pasta and add any additional seasonings to your preference. You can then either add the heart of palm back into the pasta and toss all together or add it on top of the pasta once it is in the bowl.
- Top with salt, pepper, and fresh chopped parsley.
Video
Notes
- Nutrition facts are based on my gram measurements put into Cronometer. Yours may vary, they are to help you get an idea.
- Please do not repost recipes without my permission. Sharing a direct link is always highly encouraged and appreciated.
- I am using Mafaldine pasta
- I am using Country Crock Olive Oil Plant Butter
This is outstanding
thank you so much!