Pasta tossed withΒ a rich tomato sauce with a tingle of spicy heat and plump prawns (shrimp). This Spicy Chilli Prawn Pasta is a total crowd pleaser to make all year round, and the only thing that requires chopping is parsley. You can haveΒ thisΒ on the table in just 15 MINUTES!!!
Being an Aussie fortunate enough to have many readers from all around the world β and I really do many fromΒ all around the world (!!!!) βΒ one of the things Iβm very mindful of is sharing a selection of recipes suited to varying climates.
And right now β January and February β areΒ always the toughest months because the seasonal difference is at its most extreme.Β When Iβm sweltering in the height of summer when itβs 40C/104F without a whisper of a breeze (reminder: I live in a house withΒ no air conditioning!!) and I know itβs minus-something whereΒ some of you are, and youβre shovelling snow off your driveway so you can drive to work, I want to share winter comfort foods to warm your soul. ButΒ I also want to share the quick-cook fresh meals for me and all the other Aussies and readers enjoying warmer / stinking hot weather.
So newcomers to my site during Jan/Feb each year are probably very baffled when they see my latest recipes wildly swinging between hot winter soups and stews and summery salads and cocktails!
Thatβs a long winded way of leading into why Iβm happy to be sharing a (fairly) climate neutral recipe today!!! Sure, pasta is probably not the first thing you think of when itβs really REALLY stinking hot. But generally, Iβll make quick-cook pastas like this Spicy Chilli Prawn Pasta all year round.
There are prawn pastas, then there areΒ prawn pastas. AΒ serious proper sauce for prawn pastas isΒ simmered for hours and hours using the heads and shells ofΒ the prawns. If you want to try a restaurant style one, try this Lemon Prawn Pasta which is made using this technique.
This one is not one of those serious prawn pastas. This is pretty much the opposite end of the spectrum β but without sacrificing flavour. If you follow my recipe directions exactly, this honestly takes 15 minutes to make. AndΒ if I do say so myself, it is darn tasty thanks to a little secret ingredient in the sauce: Anchovies.
Yes. Anchovies.Β No, you canβt taste any anchovy fishiness. It just dissolves in the sauce and adds that extraΒ umami* which takes this quick sauce from βniceβ to βOMG this is so good!!!β
* Regular readers know I donβt usually throw around fancy foodie words, but in this case I donβt know how else to describe that savouriness that anchovies brings to this sauce other than to to say it adds an extraΒ umami to it. SoΒ umami, whichΒ is actually a Japanese word, means βsavoury tasteβ which,Β together with sweetness, sourness, bitterness, and saltiness, make up the 5 basic tastes.
In addition to the little extra something the anchovy brings to the sauce, the hit of heat from the dried chilli flakes works wonders too. For me, those two elements make this a sneaky little recipe to keep in your back pocket to whip out on busy weeknights and also when youβre having company.Β Impress the pants off your family and friends, and hold back that smug smile knowing that it was actually a total breeze to make. But lap up the compliments. You totally deserve it. π β Nagi x
PS I know most of you already know, but Prawns in Australia and other Commonwealth countries = Shrimp in otherΒ countries.
PPS Does anyone know who is responsible for prawns vs shrimp, coriander vs cilantro, scallions vs green onions vs shallots, courgettes vs zucchini, Fahrenheit vs Celsius? Iβd like a word with them. π€
PPPS Notice all the sauce is stuckΒ on the pasta so it all ends up inΒ your mouth, not sitting in a pool at the bottom of the bowl. Donβt skip step 6!
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Spicy Chilli Prawn Pasta (Shrimp)
Ingredients
- 180 g / 6 oz fettuccine or other pasta or choice
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 150 β 180 g / 5 β 6 oz medium prawns/shrimp , peeled and deveined
- 2 anchovies , whole (or 1/2 tsp anchovy paste)
- 1 garlic clove , minced
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 1 tsp+ chilli fakes / red pepper flakes
- 1 cup / 250 ml tomato passata (Note 2)
- 2 tsp finely grated parmesan
- 1/2 lemon
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley , plus more to serve
Instructions
- Get all the ingredients out and ready to go β this recipe moves fast!
- Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add a big pinch of salt and the pasta. Cook for the time per the packet MINUS 1 minute. SCOOP OUT a mugful of pasta cooking water before draining pasta (or transfer it straight from pot into sauce, if you time it right).
- Heat oil in a skillet over high heat. Add prawns and cook for 30 seconds, until surface just changes from translucent to opaque.
- Add red pepper flakes and anchovies. Stir briefly, then add wine and garlic.
- Cook for 30 seconds until wine is mostly evaporated.
- Add tomato passata, squeeze of lemon juice, parmesan, salt and pepper. Bring to simmer, turn heat down to medium and cook sauce for 1 minute, stirring frequently (donβt cook for long otherwise will overcook prawns).
- Add pasta, about 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water and parsley. Toss gently for 1 minute (or gently stir with wooden spoon or tongs) until sauce re-thickens and it coats the pasta.
- Adjust salt, pepper and spiciness to taste. Serve immediately with more parsley.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Spicy Chilli Prawn Pasta recipe video!
LIFE OF DOZER
He shamelessly trades off his looks.
This was lovely and very easy. I used fresh chilliβs as a had them and we use them a lot. I always have anchovies in the cupboard as they impart a wonderful, imperceptible umami taste to many dishes. Most ingredients are in my cupboard or fridge. It was very tasty. My husband has a very reduced sense of smell and therefore taste as the result of a brain tumour but this is a dish he could really enjoy due to the depth of flavours from the combined ingredients.
Oh my goodness this was amazing. So good. After it was made as per recipe I added some oven roasted cherry tomatoes and it was delicious. My friend who I made it for said itβs a 10/10!
Unfortunately this was not great. Way too much tomato passata which drowned the flavour.
Absolutely delicious. My go to for a quick mid week pasta fix. The whole family loves it!!
Hi Nagi could I make this with cooked peeled prawns added once the sauce is made just to heat them without overcooking them?
One of the tastiest prawn pasta ever!
This recipe is easy, quick and absolutely delicious!
Thank you Nagi ππ
Lovely! Added chilli anchovy including the chili flakes. Turned out as quick as you said! Will make it again. Thank you Nagi & Dozer!
Unfortunately my family and I were not a fan of this recipe
Yum!!! Added dollop of cream to make creamy pasta, finished off handfuls of baby spinach to wilt
Iβve been looking for a while for a good tomato-based prawn recipe. I usually go for the cheesy, creamy option β always your recipes, Nagi, of course! But really enjoyed this! Thank you.
So easy, tasty & fast.
Just delicious!
Thanks Nagi π₯°
Enjoyed this recipe.. I lightly seared the prawns first and removed them. I Premade the sauce and added the prawns, parmesan and pasta last minute. And was delicious thanks for. Another great recipe
Bloody delicious, though I admit to cheating a little⦠First, I was not in a hurry, so I simmered my prawn heads and shells to make a rich stock. Added double the white wine and a few parsley sprigs and reduced it all to about a cupful, added instead of plain white wine. Second, I happened to have a quantity of garlicky, oyster-infused extra virgin olive oil from an oyster ajillo I made a couple of days ago. (I had been planning a kind of oyster/prawn peperoncino, but stumbled on this recipe) Used plenty of this instead of plain olive oil. Final result was delicious, though quantities and flavour balance in the original would have been bang on. Thanks for the inspiration!
Such a great way to cook prawns β made it for myself while watching the tennis πππ
I ate something similar in an Italian restaurant. Theirs was more creamy. Can I add more Parmesan without ruining the flavours? I ate something called Gamberi.
Gamberi is the Italian name for prawns/shrimp
Did this , hubby approved, .
says it all. Garliced the prawns in garlic paste , butter and white wine then added to tomato chilli pasta. Yum
Absolutely delicious pasta dish .
So quick and easy . Better than a lot of restaurant prawn pasta dishes .
Yum Nagi .
Hi Nagi, Wondering if I could make the sauce first (ie garlic, wine, chilli, anchovies, passata, etc) and then add the prawns at the end prior to adding pasta? That way I can adjust for spicyness if needed in the sauce without overcooking the prawns. Iβm always nervous cooking something for a crowd without having cooked it before but Iβm doing this for good friday lunch for 10 people. You recipes never fail, so Iβm sure it will be perfection.
Yes Anne that will work! Good luck! N x
What an amazing dish. I didnβt had anchovies but would love to try it next time. Hubby scoffed every morsel and I wasnβt far behind. Will definitely make this again. Thanks for posting
Woo hoo I am glad you liked it Amanda!! N x
What do I substitute the white wine with?