Calling all seafood lovers! This Garlic Chilli Prawn Pasta is about to become your new firm favourite for busy weeknights, date nights, or whenever you're craving a restaurant-quality meal without the restaurant price tag.
This recipe is bursting with flavor, thanks to the combination of chilli flakes, fresh garlic cloves, juicy king prawns, and a touch of lemon juice. It's ready in just 25 minutes, making it perfect for those evenings when you're short on time but still want something delicious and satisfying, just like our Roasted Fennel Spaghetti With Creamy Sauce!
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If you love Pasta & Prawn recipes, try our Prawn Korma, Squid Ink Seafood Pasta, 15-Minute Prawn and Red Pesto Pasta and Prawn Pasta With White Wine Sauce!
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Why You'll Love This Spicy Garlic Chilli Prawn Pasta
There are countless reasons to love this spicy prawn spaghetti. Here are just a few:
- Quick and Easy: This recipe comes together in under 30 minutes, making it the perfect weeknight dinner or a last-minute date night option. Plus it doesn't require a lot of ingredients.
- Packed with Flavor: The combination of chilli flakes, fresh garlic, and lemon juice creates a vibrant and flavorful sauce that perfectly complements the sweetness of the prawns.
- Customizable: Love things extra spicy? Add a few more chilli flakes or a pinch of red chilli flakes. Want a mild version? Simply reduce the amount of chilli flakes or omit them altogether.
- Simple Ingredients: We use thawed raw king prawns from the freezer, but you can use fresh prawns, or even cooked prawns, simply adjust the cooking time.
Ingredients and Substitutes
This recipe is all about simplicity, and only requires a handful of ingredients:
- olive oil.
- spaghetti or linguine: choose your favourite pasta shape, but see our suggestions in the Recipe FAQs section. If you are looking for a project, make fresh pasta from scratch!
- raw king prawns: we used thawed peeled frozen prawns but you can use fresh, plump prawns, and deshell them yourself. You can use other types of shrimp, such as white shrimp or tiger shrimp. Just be sure to adjust the cooking time slightly, as larger shrimp may take a few minutes longer to cook through.
- fresh parsley: may be replaced with a pinch of dried parsley instead. You can also use fresh basil!
- spring onions: also known as green onions.
- cloves of garlic: no garlic prawn pasta is complete without fresh garlic!
- chilli flakes: you can use fresh red chilli pepper instead.
- lemon: juice only.
Step-by-Step Method for the Perfect Prawn Pasta
Here's how to make this easy prawn pasta recipe in just a few simple steps:
Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to the packet instructions until al dente, which means it should still have a slight bite to it. Drain the pasta, reserving about 5 tablespoons of the starchy pasta water.
Sauté the Aromatics: In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chilli flakes and spring onions and cook for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant to draw out the maximum flavour.
Cook the Prawns and Garlic: Add the king prawns and garlic to the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until the prawns are pink and cooked through. Be careful not to overcook the prawns, as they can become tough and rubbery.
Combine and Serve: Add the cooked pasta and reserved cooking water to the pan with the prawns. Squeeze in the juice of the ½ lemon and stir everything together over low heat until the sauce coats the pasta.
Season and Garnish: Remove the pan from heat and stir in the chopped parsley. Season with a pinch of salt and black pepper to taste. Serve immediately with some grated parmesan cheese on top, if you wish!
Tips for Best Results
- Cook Pasta Al Dente: As mentioned earlier, aim for "al dente" pasta, which has a slight bite to it. This ensures the pasta won't become mushy when tossed with the sauce.
- Large Pot & Plenty of Water: Do not add any oil to prevent the pasta from sticking, instead, stir it once or twice in the first couple of minutes of cooking.
- Don't Overcook the Prawns: Prawns cook quickly, so be mindful of the cooking time. Overcooked prawns become tough and rubbery, so aim for a delicate pink colour and a slightly translucent centre.
- Adjust the Chilli to Suit Your Spice Preference: This recipe is easily customizable to your spice preference. Start with the suggested amount of chilli flakes and taste the sauce. If you like it hotter, add more chilli flakes a pinch at a time until you reach your desired level of heat.
What to Serve with Prawn Pasta?
This spicy prawn pasta is delicious on its own, but you can also pair it with a simple side salad or roasted vegetables for a more complete meal. Here are some additional options:
- Garlic bread or Garlic Sourdough Focaccia to soak up any leftover lemon oil at the bottom of the bowl. For an ultimate experience, try our Sourdough Pull Apart Garlic Bread (Cheesy Buttery Brioche).
- Balsamic Green Beans And Cherry Tomatoes.
- Tenderstem Broccoli with Garlic and Lemon.
- Grilled lemon wedges: A refreshing and tangy complement to the spicy pasta. Just wait until you try it!
Recipe FAQs
What's the Best Pasta Shape for this Garlic Prawn Pasta Recipe?
While we used spaghetti in this recipe, any long noodle-style pasta shape that works well with seafood pastas will do. Linguine or fettuccine are great options!
How to Prepare Fresh Prawns for Cooking?
We typically use thawed frozen raw prawns, but here's a quick guide on how to prepare fresh prawns for this recipe:
- Peel and devein: Pinch the head of the prawn and gently twist to remove it. You can also use a knife to cut along the back of the prawn and remove the vein.
- Rinse the prawns: Briefly rinse the prawns under cold running water to remove any debris.
- Pat dry: Use paper towels to pat the prawns dry before cooking. This helps them sear nicely in the pan.
Storage
Whilst the prawn pasta will be safe to eat for a couple of days if stored in an airtight container in the fridge, we do not recommend it. Reheating it will overcook the prawns and your spaghetti won't be al dente.
More Quick Pasta Recipes
We hope you enjoyed this recipe for spicy garlic chilli prawn pasta. Looking for more easy pasta recipes that are perfect for busy weeknights? Check out our favourite recipes below:
Easy Garlic Chilli Prawns Pasta
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 190 g (6.7 oz) spaghetti or linguine
- 180 g (6.35 oz) raw king prawns peeled
- 10 g (2 tablespoon) parsley finely chopped
- 2 spring onions
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
- ½ lemon
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook for 8-10 minutes, or according to package instructions, until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 5 tablespoons of the starchy pasta water.
- In a large, non-stick frying pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the chili flakes and spring onions and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the king prawns and garlic to the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until the prawns are pink and cooked through.
- Add the cooked pasta and reserved starchy pasta water to the pan with the prawns. Squeeze in the lemon juice and stir everything together until the sauce coats the pasta.
- Remove the pan from heat and stir in the chopped parsley. Season with salt and black pepper. Serve immediately!
Nutrition
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