Prawn Pasta Recipe

These Prawn Pasta Recipe with their buttery sauce are simply finger-licking! Either as a starter with some bread, or with pasta as a main course.

Prawn Pasta

Admittedly, they look scary. But the critters are sensitive. That’s why we almost always sell them frozen. The exception is “party prawns”. This is just a trade name for shrimp that have already been boiled and are packed in a protective atmosphere in the refrigerated section. You can leave them there, because pre-cooked prawns are only good for salads, not for cooking.

For all hot dishes, you should buy raw prawns, preferably still in their shells. You can (usually) recognise them because they are not red. They are either grey/white, black mackerel, brownish or blue. Only when they come into contact with heat do their flesh turn snow-white with clear red marbling. So anything that is already red when you buy it is pre-cooked and not so great for further cooking. (There are exceptions, which are already reddish when raw, and this is indicated on the package).

Whether you buy the prawns with their heads or already practically cut open and deveined is a matter of taste and price. They really do look a bit scary with the head. The head always leaves the kitchen. But prepared whole, you get the best aroma in the end – and that quickly lures the prawn back into the kitchen.

How Do I Get The Full Aroma?

I’ve already mentioned it: I recommend whole prawns. With head, shell and all. You’ll have to peel and often devein them yourself, but that’s quick. You can then use the heads and shells to make a quick stock that will make the flavour of your dish go through the roof!

If you are preparing the recipe with frozen products, defrost them as slowly as possible in the fridge. If you need to defrost them more quickly, place them side by side in a plastic bag. Then pour plenty of cold water into the sink, press the plastic bag, which is still open, under the water so that the air is forced out. Be careful that no water enters the bag! Then close the bag under water with a clip so that it is watertight and airtight. Vacuum-sealed in this way, you can also gently defrost the prawns floating in cold water.

Since prawns are not cheap, how many you serve per portion will depend on how much you are willing to spend. The ingredients for the sauce are suitable for approx. 500g whole prawns.

Best Prawn Pasta Recipe

Servings: 4 Preparation:45 minutes Cooking time: 20 minutes Calories: 322 Fat: 10g

Ingredients

For the prawn stock:
Prawn shells and heads
1 tbsp neutral oil e.g. rapeseed oil
100 ml Noilly Prat
150 ml white wine
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tsp miso paste, light (optional)

For the creamy prawns:
500 g prawns
2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp olive oil
1 clove of garlic
2 slices of preserved salt lemons
½ lemon
the prawn stock
2 tbsp butter
2 stalks parsley
salt
white pepper (whole) freshly ground

Also:
500 g pasta
salt for cooking the pasta

Instructions

First, peel the prawns. To do this, courageously twist off the head and put it aside.

Using a pair of scissors, cut the prawns open at the back down to the tail fin. This will expose the intestines. Pull out the intestine with the help of a small knife and discard. Clean the shrimp with some kitchen paper if necessary.

In a bowl, dissolve 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp sugar in about 250ml water. Put the peeled prawns in and leave to pickle in the fridge for 15-20 minutes.

For the prawn stock:
Heat an uncoated pan until very hot. If you only have coated pans, use a large pan from which the steam can easily escape. Heat the oil in it and fry the shells and heads of the prawns for 2-3 minutes until a dark sediment forms.

Then remove the pan from the heat and deglaze with the Noilly Prat and white wine.

Scrape off the sediment with a wooden spatula. When the bubbling subsides, return the pan to the cooker, but only over a low heat.

Now add the bay leaf, thyme and optionally 1 tsp light miso paste to the broth. The miso paste gives the broth even more depth without playing itself into the foreground.

Simmer, uncovered, for about 5 minutes over a very gentle heat. Then strain the peels through a fine sieve and collect the broth. Squeeze the peels well!

For the pasta:
For the pasta, put on a large pot of water (min. 4 litres) and bring to the boil. Add 1 handful of salt and cook the pasta according to the package instructions.

For the creamy prawns:
For the prawns, wipe out the pan and heat the olive oil in it over a medium heat.

Peel and finely chop the garlic and gently sauté in the pan for 1-2 minutes without letting it colour.

Finely chop the lemon slices and sauté briefly in the pan.
Then deglaze with the lemon juice and add the prawn stock. Bring everything gently to the boil.

Remove the prawns from the marinade and drain well.

Place them side by side in the pan so that they do not overlap and cook gently for about 2 minutes with the lid closed.

Then turn them over and finish cooking for another minute with the lid closed. Carefully lift out of the pan and keep warm.

Pour the stock from the pan into a blender jug and blend well with the magic wand. Gradually add the ice-cold butter in cubes until the sauce has thickened nicely.

Return the prawns to the pan with the sauce and keep warm. Do not let it boil any more, otherwise the prawns will become dry and the sauce will lose its binding!

Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and season with salt and freshly ground white pepper if desired. Black pepper is also fine, but it adds dark spots to the light sauce.

Serve the prawns with some toasted bread as an appetiser in small bowls.

Or take 100ml of the pasta water and save it. Strain the pasta and mix quickly with the prawns. If the noodles soak up too much sauce, add some of the saved pasta water so that the noodles stay nice and moist. Serve quickly!

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Creamy Prawn Pasta Recipe

Rating: 4.6/5

( 51 voted )

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 45 Minutes Cooking Time: 20 Minutes 20 Minutes Nutrition facts: 322 calories 10 fat

Ingredients

• For the prawn stock:
• Prawn shells and heads
• 1 tbsp neutral oil e.g. rapeseed oil
• 100 ml Noilly Prat
• 150 ml white wine
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 tsp miso paste, light (optional)
• For the creamy prawns:
• 500 g prawns
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic
• 2 slices of preserved salt lemons
• ½ lemon
• the prawn stock
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 stalks parsley
• salt
• white pepper (whole) freshly ground
• Also:
• 500 g pasta
• salt for cooking the pasta

Instructions

1. First, peel the prawns. To do this, courageously twist off the head and put it aside.
2. Using a pair of scissors, cut the prawns open at the back down to the tail fin. This will expose the intestines. Pull out the intestine with the help of a small knife and discard. Clean the shrimp with some kitchen paper if necessary.
3. In a bowl, dissolve 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp sugar in about 250ml water. Put the peeled prawns in and leave to pickle in the fridge for 15-20 minutes.
4. For the prawn stock:
5. Heat an uncoated pan until very hot. If you only have coated pans, use a large pan from which the steam can easily escape.
6. Heat the oil in it and fry the shells and heads of the prawns for 2-3 minutes until a dark sediment forms.
7. Then remove the pan from the heat and deglaze with the Noilly Prat and white wine. Scrape off the sediment with a wooden spatula.
8. When the bubbling subsides, return the pan to the cooker, but only over a low heat. Now add the bay leaf, thyme and optionally 1 tsp light miso paste to the broth.
9. The miso paste gives the broth even more depth without playing itself into the foreground. Simmer, uncovered, for about 5 minutes over a very gentle heat.
10. Then strain the peels through a fine sieve and collect the broth. Squeeze the peels well!
11. For the pasta:
12. For the pasta, put on a large pot of water (min. 4 litres) and bring to the boil.
13. Add 1 handful of salt and cook the pasta according to the package instructions.
14. For the creamy prawns:
15. For the prawns, wipe out the pan and heat the olive oil in it over a medium heat.
16. Peel and finely chop the garlic and gently sauté in the pan for 1-2 minutes without letting it colour.
17. Finely chop the lemon slices and sauté briefly in the pan.
18. Then deglaze with the lemon juice and add the prawn stock.
19. Bring everything gently to the boil.
20. Remove the prawns from the marinade and drain well.
21. Place them side by side in the pan so that they do not overlap and cook gently for about 2 minutes with the lid closed.
22. Then turn them over and finish cooking for another minute with the lid closed.
23. Carefully lift out of the pan and keep warm.
24. Pour the stock from the pan into a blender jug and blend well with the magic wand.
25. Gradually add the ice-cold butter in cubes until the sauce has thickened nicely.
26. Return the prawns to the pan with the sauce and keep warm.
27. Do not let it boil any more, otherwise the prawns will become dry and the sauce will lose its binding!
28. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and season with salt and freshly ground white pepper if desired.
29. Black pepper is also fine, but it adds dark spots to the light sauce. Serve the prawns with some toasted bread as an appetiser in small bowls. Or take 100ml of the pasta water and save it. Strain the pasta and mix quickly with the prawns.
30. If the noodles soak up too much sauce, add some of the saved pasta water so that the noodles stay nice and moist.
31. Serve quickly!