Creamy Prawn Linguine

close up shot of creamy prawn linguine on small white plate with silver fork on the side

Print Recipe

5 from 6 votes

This pasta is loaded with juicy prawns and wrapped in a dreamy creamy sauce!

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Total Time20

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Calories: 880kcal

Author: Chris Collins

Cost: £4 / $5

Equipment

Large Pan & Wooden Spoon
Large Pot & Tongs
Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
Paper Towel
Fine Cheese Grater

Ingredients

5-7oz / 150-200g raw peeled Prawns/Shrimp (see notes)
7oz / 200g Linguine, or other long-cut pasta
2/3 cup / 160ml Heavy/Double Cream, at room temp
1/4 cup / 60ml Dry White Wine
1/4 cup / 20g freshly grated Parmesan
1 large Shallot, very finely diced (approx 1/4 cup)
1 large fresh Red Chilli, deseeded & very finely diced (see notes)
1 clove of Garlic, finely diced
1 tbsp finely diced Fresh Parsley, plus more to garnish if desired
1 tbsp Butter, preferably unsalted
drizzle of Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper, as needed

Instructions

Add pasta to salted boiling water and cook until al dente.
Pat prawns dry and season all over with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Add a drizzle of oil to a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the prawns and fry each side for a minute or so until light golden and just cooked through the centre. Remove and lower heat to medium.
Melt in butter then add shallot and chilli. Fry until soft and just starting to pick up colour, then add in garlic and fry for another minute. Pour in the wine and simmer for a few mins until mostly evaporated, deglazing the pan with your wooden spoon as necessary.
Pour in the cream then stir in parsley, parmesan and salt & pepper to taste. Simmer for a couple of mins until it begins to thicken, then use your tongs to transfer the cooked pasta straight from the pot into the sauce. Toss to combine, then toss in the prawns. Use the leftover pasta water to thin out the sauce as needed. If you add too water pasta water, just continue tossing until the sauce thickens and clings to the pasta.
Serve up with extra parsley/parmesan if desired!

Video

Notes

a) What kind of prawns to use? - I like using fresh king prawns, but you can use smaller ones if you wish. Most pre-packed prawns will come ready to cook (deveined etc). You can use frozen, just make sure you thaw them first.

b) How do I know when the prawns are cooked? - General rule of thumb: 'hangs straight' (raw), 'C shape' (cooked) and 'O shape' (overcooked). They won't need long at all, especially since they'll carry on cooking as you toss them through the hot pasta.

c) Chilli - I typically use regular store-bought red chillies you find in the fresh herb section at the shops. 1 will give you a very gentle kick of spice (just make sure they're definitely de-seeded). The flavour of fresh chilli is nice, but you could sub dried chilli flakes if you'd prefer (start off with 1/4 tsp and work up).

d) Calories - Whole recipe divided by 2 assuming 1/2 tbsp olive oil.

Nutrition