Substantial

Spaghetti with Creamy Prawn Sauce

4 January 2023

ingredients

350 g spaghetti

40 ml extra virgin olive oil

12 medium sized, unshelled, raw, giant or king prawns

1 glass white wine

300 ml double cream

Salt and Black Pepper

Parsley

equipment

Chopping board and kitchen knife

Large pot for pasta

Large frypan - must be big enough to toss the pasta in the sauce

Metal stirring spoon

Metal tongs or Spider

Serving dish

method

Step 1 - Initial Prep

Heat the serving dish and pasta plates

Bring a pot of water to the boil

Step 2 - Prepare the ingredients

While the pasta water comes to the boil - Pull off the prawn heads and wash them in cold water. Drain on kitchen towel.

Peel the tails and chop the flesh, discarding the shells

Rinse and chop the parsley.

Step 2 - Cook

Salt the boiling water with a handful of  sea salt .

Add the pasta and push it into the water with tongs, toss it through the water to separate the strands.

While the pasta is cooking :

Heat the fry pan over moderate heat and cover the base with olive oil.

Add the prawn heads and the prawn meat.

Stir with a wooden spoon for a minute or two.

Add the wine and allow to evaporate.

When the wine has bubbled for several minutes, add the cream - bring to the boil and simmer for for 3 - 5 minutes.

Taste and season the sauce with salt and pepper.

There should be plenty of liquid in the pan.

Step 3 - Assembly

Set up the pan with the sauce beside the pasta pot.

Taste the pasta before the suggested cooking time on the packet. 

While the pasta is still firm to the bite - but almost soft enough to eat enjoyably - remove it from the boiling water - using the tongs - transferring it directly to the sauce - a little at a time. Toss each batch of pasta through the sauce coating every strand before adding more pasta. Continue in this way until all of the pasta has been incorporated  into the sauce.  

Keep tossing the pasta so that it absorbs all of the sauce - there should not be a soupy pool at the bottom of the dish - keep tossing until the sauce is fully absorbed - you may be surprised to observe that with patience, that this does happen in an extra minute or two.

Step 4 - To Serve

Transfer to the heated serving dish.

Garnish with chopped parsley and serve immediately.

source

Recipe adapted by Elizabeth Peddey from The Top 100 Pasta Sauces,  by Diane Seed