Description
This creamy Cajun prawn pasta recipe combines perfectly seasoned prawns with a luscious, spicy cream sauce, tender rigatoni pasta, and fresh baby spinach. Ready in 25 minutes, this dish offers a burst of flavor with smoky paprika, garlic, and herbs, making it an effortless yet impressive meal for four.
Ingredients
Scale
Spice Mix
- 1 tbsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp smoked paprika (optional)
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1½ tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp sea salt flakes
- ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- ¼ tsp chilli powder (optional)
Main Ingredients
- 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) dried rigatoni
- 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) raw prawns (shrimp), shelled and deveined (fresh or thawed if frozen)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ cup (60 ml) water
- 1 red onion, finely diced
- 1 tbsp freshly minced garlic
- ½ cup (80 g) marinated roasted capsicum (bell pepper) strips, drained
- ⅓ cup (80 g) tomato paste (concentrated puree)
- 1½ cups (375 ml) thickened (heavy) cream
- 1⅓ cups (60 g) baby spinach leaves
- 1 cup (100 g) freshly grated parmesan, plus extra to serve
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- Sea salt flakes, to taste
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Make the spice mix: In a small bowl, combine sweet paprika, smoked paprika, garlic powder, dried oregano, dried thyme, onion powder, sea salt flakes, freshly cracked black pepper, and chilli powder. Mix well and set aside.
- Cook the pasta: Prepare the rigatoni according to the package instructions, cooking it for 1 minute less than indicated so it finishes in the sauce. Reserve ½ cup (125 ml) of the cooking water before draining. Rinse the pasta with cold water to stop overcooking and prevent sticking. Set aside.
- Season the prawns: Sprinkle half of the prepared Cajun spice mix over the raw prawns. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and toss thoroughly to coat all prawns evenly.
- Cook the prawns: Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large, deep, heavy-based frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned prawns and cook while tossing for 1-2 minutes until they turn color but are still slightly raw in the center. Remove them from the pan and set aside.
- Deglaze the pan: Add ¼ cup (60 ml) of water to the same pan to loosen any browned bits stuck on the bottom. Cook for 1-2 minutes until most of the water evaporates.
- Cook the vegetables: Add the finely diced red onion and minced garlic, cooking and stirring for 1-2 minutes until softened. Then stir in the marinated roasted capsicum strips and tomato paste, cooking for another 1-2 minutes.
- Add spice mix and cream: Stir the remaining half of the Cajun spice mix and the thickened cream into the pan. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Finish cooking the prawns in sauce: Return the partially cooked prawns to the pan along with the baby spinach leaves. Stir everything together and simmer for 1-2 minutes until the prawns are fully cooked and the spinach has wilted.
- Add cheese and lemon juice: Stir in the freshly grated parmesan cheese and lemon juice. Season the sauce with sea salt flakes and freshly cracked black pepper to taste.
- Combine pasta and sauce: Add the cooked rigatoni to the pan with the sauce and toss to combine. Use the reserved pasta cooking water, adding 1 tablespoon at a time, to loosen the sauce to your preferred consistency.
- Serve: Serve the creamy Cajun prawn pasta immediately, garnished with extra grated parmesan cheese for added flavor.
Notes
- Use fresh or fully thawed prawns for best texture and flavor.
- Rinsing pasta with cold water stops further cooking and prevents clumping, ensuring perfect texture when mixed with sauce.
- Adjust the amount of chilli powder in the spice mix according to your preferred spice level.
- Reserve pasta water is essential to loosen the sauce and help it cling well to the pasta.
- Parmesan cheese can be substituted with a vegetarian hard cheese if preferred.
