A rich and creamy pasta with juicy prawns, plenty of garlic, Parmesan, and a silky sauce. Ready in about 25 minutes and perfect for an easy dinner.
Ingredients
For 4 servings:
- 350 g spaghetti, linguine, or fettuccine
- 400 g raw prawns, peeled and deveined
- 4–5 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 250 ml heavy cream
- 70 g Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 100 ml pasta cooking water, as needed
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried Italian herbs
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- Optional: ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
1. Cook the pasta.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions until al dente. Before draining, reserve about 1 cup of pasta water.
2. Season the prawns.
Pat the prawns dry and season them with salt, black pepper, paprika, and Italian herbs.
3. Cook the prawns.
Heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the prawns and cook for about 1–2 minutes per side, until pink and just cooked through. Remove them from the pan and set aside.
4. Prepare the garlic sauce.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and the minced garlic. Cook for about 30–60 seconds, stirring constantly, until fragrant. Don’t allow the garlic to burn.
5. Make it creamy.
Pour in the heavy cream and stir well. Let it gently simmer for 2–3 minutes. Reduce the heat and gradually stir in the Parmesan until melted and the sauce becomes smooth.
If the sauce is too thick, add a little reserved pasta water until you reach a silky consistency.