Rich and creamy prawn pasta is the ultimate indulgence when you want to impress friends and family. The juicy, plump prawns turn this simple supper dish into something really special. And it will take less than 30 minutes as the the sauce and penne pasta cook at the same time for minimum effort.
The creamy sauce for this prawn penne pasta is infused with the flavour of garlic and the bell peppers and chilli add a sweet yet spicy tang that complements the tomatoes. It’s up to you if you want to adjust the “heat” of the prawn penne pasta by adding more or less chilli.
Try and get hold of raw tiger prawns as they have the best flavour. However, if you do not have time on your hands, you can skip the mission of peeling and deveining prawns by rather using frozen peeled prawns. Thaw them overnight and pat dry with a paper towel before cooking.
Not only is this pasta dish utterly delicious, prawns or shrimps are an excellent source of protein, vitamin D, zinc and iodine. They also contain other minerals and vitamins essential for heart health, healthy hair, skin and bone health, such as phosphorous, vitamin A and omega-3 fatty acids.
Prawns and Penne Pasta
Ingredients
- 800 g prawns deveined
- 500 g penne pasta
- 1 tsp salt
- 100 g butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
For the Prawn Sauce
- 1 tsp garlic crushed
- 1 red bell pepper deseeded and chopped
- 1/4 tsp fish spice
- 1/4 tsp cajun spice
- black pepper and salt to taste
- 2 onions chopped
- 1 red chilli deseeded (optional to use more)
- 4 tomatoes
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 cup cream to be added before serving.
Instructions
- Cook the pasta until al dente and rinse. Add 2 teaspoons olive oil and mix to ensure it does not stick. (To cook pasta al dente, start by bringing a pot of water to a boil before adding the pasta. Then, after the pasta has been cooking for 6 or 7 minutes, taste a piece. If it is still crunchy, keep cooking it in 30-second intervals until it's firm but no longer crunchy.)
- Blend together the ingredients for the prawn sauce.
- Place butter in your frying pan, or wok, stir-fry prawns in the butter for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Add salt, remove from pan and set aside.
- In the same pan, fry the onions, ensuring you scrape up all the juices, bits and pieces for extra flavour.
- Add the sauce from the blender and bring to the boil. Add the prawns and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
- When this is done, add the boiled pasta and cream, stir well and allow the pasta to absorb all the awesome flavours.
- Garnish with fresh coriander and black pepper before serving.