Isabella from Italian Street Kitchen reveals the perfect Italian prawn pasta recipe for a romantic dinner.
- Use fresh prawns and Vesuvio or shell-shaped pasta for best texture and sauce capture.
- Make chilli pangrattato first for crisp, lemony, spicy breadcrumb topping that lifts the dish.
- Toss pasta with prawn‑tomato sauce, add reserved pasta water for silkiness, serve with lemon wedges.
When it comes to romance, few things can rival the allure of a beautifully crafted, home-cooked meal, and while my heritage makes me a little biased, I feel that Italian cuisine is the most romantic in the world. Our food has an emphasis on fresh ingredients and bold flavours that have long been synonymous with love and passion. In the end, you can’t really go wrong when choosing an Italian dish for a romantic evening, but I truly adore this easy prawn pasta from Gourmet Traveller; a website I’ve found to be a wonderful resource for Italian recipes you can make at home. This dish combines the timeless charm of pasta with the sophisticated elegance of prawns to produce the perfect meal for a special occasion with your partner. Alternatively you can visit one of our Italian Restaurants and try some fresh pasta in West End
Vesuvio with Prawns, White Wine and Tomato
If you’re looking for healthy prawn pasta recipes, you’ve come to the right place. This is a delicious summer dish that combines Vesuvio pasta with prawns, white wine, and tomatoes, that isn’t too rich. I’ve found that the unique half-spiral, half-shell shape of Vesuvio pasta is ideal for holding the chunky sauce and tender prawn pieces. To get the most out of this and any other prawns pasta recipes, make sure you use fresh prawns rather than frozen ones.
Italian Prawn Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ small Spanish onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- ½ long red chilli, thinly sliced
- 150 ml dry white wine
- 500 gm mixed cherry tomatoes, halved
- 10 peeled uncooked prawns (about 200gm), coarsely chopped
- 400 gm dried Vesuvio (alternatively use another shell-shaped pasta)
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Chilli Pangrattato:
- 50 ml olive oil
- 70 gm coarse sourdough breadcrumbs
- 1 long red chilli, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- Finely grated rind of 1 lemon
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Method: Chilli Pangrattato Preparation:
- I recommend making the pangrattato first. Begin by heating the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.
- Add the breadcrumbs and fry, stirring occasionally, until they’re a gorgeous golden brown and evenly toasted. This should take 4-5 minutes.
- Stir in the red chilli, garlic, and lemon rind, then cook until fragrant (about 1 minute).
- Season to taste, then set aside.
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Prawn and Tomato Sauce:
- In a saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the onion, garlic, and red chilli, and sauté until tender for 5-6 minutes.
- Pour in the white wine and bring to a simmer.
- Add the halved cherry tomatoes and let the sauce simmer until the tomatoes break down and the sauce slightly thickens after around 5-6 minutes.
- Stir in the chopped prawns and cook until they turn opaque, which is generally within 1-2 minutes.
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Cooking the Pasta:
- In a large saucepan, bring salted water to a boil and cook the Vesuvio pasta until al dente (8-10 minutes).
- Drain the pasta, reserving a little of the pasta water in another pan or container.
- Return the cooked pasta to the pan, add the prawn and tomato sauce, and toss to combine.
- If needed, add the reserved pasta water to achieve the desired consistency.
Serving:
- Plate the pasta and sprinkle it with the prepared chilli pangrattato.
- Serve with lemon wedges on the side for a burst of freshness and enjoy what is hopefully the best prawn pasta recipe you’ve ever made.
Prawn Pasta at my Italian Restaurant Sydney
If you can’t get enough of prawn pasta dishes, I’d love to make you my exquisite Garlic Prawn Spaghetti at Italian Street Kitchen. My sumptuous but simple prawn pasta is highlighted by heavenly fried garlic prawns, along with arrabbiata sauce, chilli, roasted cherry tomatoes, capers, lobster stock, and peppery rocket.
