How to make any pasta with prawns like an Italian
The secret to perfect Italian pasta with prawns is one foundational technique, a method I mastered during summers spent in small seafront towns where the daily catch dictated the day's menu. This guide breaks down that authentic technique, showing you how to apply it
Servings 5 servings
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb Fresh whole prawns
- Aromatic shallot, garlic or red onion
- Vegetable Vegetable that are in season and with a delicate flavor
- Herbs Basil, parsley, lemon zest
- Dry white wine or lemon juice
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt & pepper
- 1 lb long pasta spaghetti, linguine, bucatini
- salt for boiling pasta
Instructions
Preparing the Prawns
- Rinse the prawns thoroughly under cold running water to clean them.
- Trim off any long antennae to avoid them breaking into the sauce.
- Cook the prawns whole with the heads on to extract maximum flavor.
Choosing and Preparing Aromatics and Vegetables
- Choose one aromatic: garlic for a mild flavor or shallots for a more delicate touch. Avoid mixing the two.
- Select vegetables that are in season and not overly strong in flavor, like zucchini or cherry tomatoes.
Preparing the Sauce
- Stir-fry the aromatic (garlic or shallots) in olive oil over low to medium heat.
- For ingredients with high water content, like cherry tomatoes, cook them directly with the prawns to create a juicy sauce.
- For ingredients that require longer cooking, like zucchini, cook them separately to ensure the best texture and flavor.
Cooking the Prawns
- Add the whole prawns to the pan and cook gently over low heat until they turn pink.
- Deglaze the pan with a splash of dry white wine and let the alcohol cook off. Optionally, use lemon juice for acidity, but never combine both.
- Remove the prawns from the pan once cooked to prevent overcooking.
Peeling and Deveining the Prawns
- Peel the prawns, leaving the heads on for flavor if desired.
- Devein by making a shallow incision along the back and removing the digestive tract.
Cooking the Pasta
- Cook the pasta until al dente, draining it one minute less than the package instructions.
Combining the Pasta and Sauce
- Add the cooked pasta to the pan with the sauce.
- Toss everything together and add a small ladle of starchy pasta water as needed to create a creamy texture.
Finishing and Serving
- Add the prawns back to the sauce to warm through.
- Season the dish: use fresh lemon zest for zucchini or freshly cracked black pepper for cherry tomatoes.
- Serve immediately while piping hot.
Video
Notes
- If you do not want to use wine, a squeeze of lemon juice can be used but never combine wine and lemon juice.
- When cooking the prawns, it is important to keep the temperature low to give time to the prawns to release all their juices without drying out
