The Chili Garlic Prawn Pasta with lemon butter sauce recipe is a deceptively simple but fragrant pasta dish with the citrussy flavors of ripe lemon peel and tart juice enriched with butter that is perfect for a quick meal.
Prawn stock - You may skip this step and use ready made stock
Prawn shells
1/2onionchopped
1small carrotchopped
1small stalk celerychopped
1 bay leafdried
1clove garlicsliced
2.5mlsalt
750mlwater
Chili Garlic Prawns
750gramstiger prawnscleaned and deveined, and shells used for the stock
2.5mldried chili flakes
2garlic clovesgrated
10 mllemon juice
15mlextra virgin olive oil
60gramsbutter
2.5mlsaltadjust to taste
Pasta
250gramsfresh tagliatelle
500mlhot water
500 mlprawn stock made above or substitute with ready made stock
2.5mlsaltadjust to taste
1.25mlblack pepper, freshly groundadjust to taste
1lemonjuice and grated rind
Garnish
5mlparsleyfinely chopped
Edible flowers and herbs
Instructions
Making the stock - You may skip this step and use ready made stock
Remove the head and all the shell aside from the tip of the tail from all the prawns.
Add the fresh prawn shells to a medium sized stock pot with the chopped vegetables and aromatics.
Bring the pot to the boil and then reduce to medium low and simmer for 30 minutes.
When the stock is done, strain out all the vegetables and aromatics. Reserve 500 ml of the stock for use in making the pasta and freeze the remainder for later use.
Cooking the Pasta
In a large pot bring the water and stock to the boil and add salt if it tastes under seasoned.
Add the fresh pasta and boil for 4 minutes. If using dried pasta, cook according to the package instructions, until al dente.
Strain the pasta over a bowl and reserve at least 125 ml of the pasta cooking liquid.
Cooking the Prawns
Massage the garlic, chili flakes and lemon juice into the prawn flesh. Season with salt.
Heat the olive oil in a high rimmed pan and add half the butter, then mix together.
Add the prawns to the pan and cook on each side for one minute only.
As soon as the prawns are cooked add the pasta and 60 ml of the pasta liquid then swirl around to coat all the pasta in the buttery spicy broth.
Add the remaining butter, the grated lemon rind and lemon juice to the pasta and allow to cook through. Add the remaining pasta liquid if required.
Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper if required.
Garnish
Plate the pasta and garnish with chopped parsley and edible flowers and herbs.
Notes
Important:
You need at least 500 grams prawn flesh so with the shells it will weigh around 750 grams whole fresh prawns.
Ask your fishmonger to devein and shell the prawns for you. Use the shells for the homemade prawn stock.
If your fishmonger does not clean and devein the prawns, do this before making the stock.
The pasta cooking and prawn sautéing will happen almost simultaneously so it is important to be organized and have everything ready and at hand.
Substitutions:
You may substitute 500 ml ready made fish or seafood stock for the homemade prawn stock.
You may substitute 150 grams dry tagliatelle, linguine or fettuccine for the fresh pasta.