This healthy prawn pasta has a spicy sauce made with tomatoes, chilli and plenty of garlic. It's such an easy recipe to make and is perfect for a busy weeknight.
Time for prawn spaghetti perfect for any night of the week!
I love love love this dinner! It's kind of similar to my spicy salmon linguine and it's just as quick and easy to put together. I always feel like prawns are a bit of treat so when we find them reduced at the supermarket we jump at the chance to have them.
For this recipe I used cooked prawns which means you literally chuck them in at the very end of cooking to get warmed through by the pasta and sauce.
I added a little bit of spinach to this dish but you could really add any veggies you like to bulk it out and make it even healthier. With no added cream or anything it's really a lovely and healthy dinner.
Why we love this prawn pasta...
It's such an easy recipe perfect for making on a weeknight because it takes just 15 minutes and you can make the sauce in the time it takes to boil the pasta.
It's also pretty healthy as prawns are a great low fat source of protein and the spicy tomato sauce is a simple combination of healthy ingredients which will keep you full for hours.
You can also make this recipe your own by adding any extra vegetables you like or even switching the prawns for a different protein like chicken or another fish.
This recipe also keeps well in the fridge so leftovers are perfect for lunch the next day.
Related: If you love spicy pasta recipes then try out this nduja pasta too!
Ingredients
Spaghetti: I love using a long pasta for this dish but if you prefer you could use a short cut like fusilli
Prawns: I used cooked prawns for this recipe so they just need adding at the end of cooking to heat through
Chopped Tomatoes: Get a tin of the best quality you can
Garlic
Red Chilli: Reduce the amount if you don't like it spicy
Red Wine Vinegar: To add a bit of tang to the sauce
Sugar: Helps to bring out the flavour of the tomatoes
Spinach: I like to use frozen spinach for this
Instructions
Cook the pasta according to packet instructions. Reserve a mugful of pasta water before draining the spaghetti.
Make the sauce by heating the olive oil and frying the garlic and chilli. Add the tomatoes, red wine vinegar and sugar and bring to a simmer.
Add the pasta, prawns and spinach to the sauce along with a couple of tablespoons of pasta water and toss everything together.
Top tips
Make sure to reserve a little pasta water for use in the sauce to help thicken it and make it stick to the pasta a little better.
If you want to adjust how spicy the pasta is you can reduce the amount of chilli in the sauce to your liking.
You can add any vegetables you like to this pasta. I use spinach but you could try adding something else like kale or broccoli.
To make this recipe gluten free simply use your favourite brand of gluten free pasta.
FAQs
For this recipe I use cooked prawns. This means you only need to add them to the pan at the very end of cooking just so that they heat through. You don't want them to cook any more as they'll become tough so add them to the pan a minute before the end of cooking.
Prawns go well with so many vegetables. In this recipe I use spinach which is a great accompaniment but if you're looking for other vegetable options to add to the pasta the broccoli or kale would also be great options.
Prawns are such a healthy option! They're a great source of protein as well as being packed with essential vitamins and minerals.
I prefer to use a bigger prawn as I think they have more flavour - a king prawn is great for this recipe but if all you can get is smaller prawns then those will still work!
Frozen prawns are a great option and often tend to be more affordable. Just make sure you thaw them thoroughly before using.
I think a long pasta like spaghetti or linguini works best in this recipe but you can really use whatever cut you prefer/have on hand.
Want more? Try these other pasta recipes!
- Creamy Pesto Chicken Skillet
- Cheesy Pasta Bake with Roasted Pepper Sauce
- Short Cut Chicken Parmesan
- Orzo Pasta Salad with Salmon
- Instant Pot Chicken Tortellini Soup
- Tuna Pasta Salad with Feta & Pine Nuts
- Vegetarian Spaghetti Bolognese with Mushrooms
- Tomato Pasta with Goat's Cheese
Recipe
Prawn Pasta with Spicy Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 10 ½ oz /300g Spaghetti
- ½ lb /200g Cooked Prawns
- 1 14oz/400g tin Chopped Tomatoes
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 2 cloves Garlic crushed
- 1 Red Chilli deseeded and chopped
- 1 teaspoon Red Wine Vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- 2½ oz /200g Spinach
- Parmesan to serve
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to packet instructions. Reserve 4 tablespoons of pasta water before draining the pasta.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry the garlic and chilli until soft. Add the chopped tomatoes, vinegar and sugar and bring to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the prawns and the drained pasta to the sauce along with the spinach and 3-4 tablespoons of pasta water and toss until the spinach is wilted and the pasta is coated in the sauce. Serve with parmesan if desired.
Notes
Like the look of this recipe? Make sure you pin it for later!
Natalie says
Looks so delicious and perfect for a quick healthy dinner! I love prawns and pasta together!
Danielle Wolter says
what a greta weeknight recipe! Loving how quick it comes together, and it sounds incredible!
Gabi says
I think you can't go wrong if a recipe uses plenty of garlic, especially combined with prawns and spinach. What a taste revelation!
Tatiana says
This is such a beautiful dish! Perfect for any night of the week and a sure winner for the whole family!
Farah Maizar says
My absolute favorite type of pasta! And so easy to make at home- will give this a try!