Prawn Spaghetti with Chilli, Garlic and Pangrattato
A fast, generous prawn spaghetti for one: halved prawns seared hard with garlic, chilli and basil, deglazed with white wine and finished with parsley and crunchy crumbs.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Total
- 22 min
- Serves
- 1
- Level
- Easy
This is the plate I cook myself after service. Slicing the prawns in half lengthways means they cook in seconds, curl up nicely and spread their flavour through the pasta.
The recipe is for one generous serve. Multiply it for more people, but cook the prawns in batches so the pan stays hot.
Ingredients
Method
- Cook the spaghetti in well-salted boiling water until 1–2 minutes short of al dente. Save a cup of pasta water.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a wide frying pan until very hot. Add the prawns in a single layer, season with salt and sear for 30–40 seconds without moving.
- Add the garlic, chilli and basil and toss for 30 seconds until fragrant. Don’t let the garlic burn.
- Deglaze with the wine and let it bubble for 30 seconds.
- Add the drained spaghetti and a good splash of pasta water and toss hard over the heat for 1–2 minutes, until the sauce turns glossy and clings to the pasta.
- Finish with parsley, a squeeze of lemon and salt to taste. Twist into a warm bowl and scatter with pangrattato.
Chef’s notes
- For pangrattato, fry coarse breadcrumbs in olive oil with a pinch of salt and lemon zest until golden. It keeps for a week in a jar.
- Use Australian wild-caught prawns if you can. The flavour difference is huge.
Questions about this recipe
How do you stop prawns going rubbery in pasta?
Halve them lengthways and sear them very briefly on high heat. They finish cooking when tossed with the hot pasta, so take them off early.
