A truly delicious pasta dish doesn't need more than a few ingredients and this Tomato and Garlic Prawn Spaghetti is proof of that. Light and fresh, ready in just 15 minutes and easy to adapt. If you are a garlic lover, then this easy weeknight pasta dish is for you.
You can never have too many easy pasta dishes in your life, right? This one couldn't be more simple and it's easy to adapt with all of your favourite pasta ingredients. It feels far more indulgent than it actually is, as this is comfort food with a healthy twist. A light and fresh tomato based pasta dish with some added greens.
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Why should you try it?
- A great way to cook with prawns - If you are bored of the same prawn recipes, then this is a good way to mix things up a bit. It's also an easy way to cook with prawns for the first time if you haven't before.
- Quick - This meal is ready in just 15 minutes.
- Healthy and low fat - Just 522 calories for a hearty and filling meal that is packed with greens. It's also a great low fat option.
- Easy to adapt - We have given you a few different ways to adapt this recipe with different vegetables.
- A light and fresh pasta dish - This is the perfect meal for a warm summer night.
What you will need
- Prawns - We used frozen cooked king prawns. They defrost really quickly and only need to be heated through for a short time.
- Spaghetti - This is what the delicious sauce gets mixed in to. You don't have to use spaghetti though, and any pasta will work.
- Tomatoes - Cherry tomatoes are the base of this sauce. Try to use the best quality tomatoes that you can, as you honestly will taste the difference. Vine ripened tomatoes are our favourite. We also used some sun-dried tomatoes as they have such an intense flavour.
- Lemon - This adds a lovely freshness to the finished dish. We used the juice and zest. You could leave one, or both, out though if you prefer.
- Garlic - This recipe is heavy on the garlic, but that's probably the best part of it. If you don't love garlic as much as we do, then you can reduce the amount used.
- Herbs - We used fresh parsley, as it pairs beautifully with prawns and garlic and really adds to the light and fresh flavours in this dish. You could swap it for fresh basil or coriander if you prefer.
- Rocket (arugula) - This gives the dish a nice little green veggie boost and a nice peppery flavour. You could use spinach instead.
Step by step
One: Put the spaghetti in to a pan of boiling water and simmer for 12 minutes.
Two: Meanwhile, add the oil to a frying pan and gently heat on low. Add the garlic and cherry tomatoes and gently cook for 3 minutes.
Three: Add the prawns and sun-dried tomatoes and cook for a further 2 minutes. Carefully squashing the cherry tomatoes so they burst (see tip below).
Four: Drain the spaghetti and add to the tomato mixture. Add the rocket (arugula), lemon juice and zest and salt and pepper Mix well and serve.
Health benefits of prawns
Prawns are a low-in-fat protein source and they are so versatile. You can use them in pasta, salads, sandwiches and so much more. They are a good source of selenium, which is one of the most effective antioxidants at maintaining healthy cells. They also contain high levels of zinc, which is important to develop a healthy immune system.
Take a look at some other recipes that use prawns.
How to adapt it
This is an easy dish to adapt with all your favourite vegetables. We kept it simple by just stirring some rocket (spinach or kale both work work too) in to the pasta at the end, however you could pack this with vegetables if you wanted. Here are some other vegetables that would work well in this:
- Mushrooms
- Courgette
- Broccoli
- Aubergine
- Artichoke
- Bell peppers
What to serve it with
You know what goes well with pasta? Garlic bread of course! Either buy some ready made, or make your own easy garlic bread by cutting up some French stick and spreading it with a mix of butter, crushed garlic and dried herbs. Then pop it in the oven for 10 minutes.
You could also keep it simple with a big green salad. The key to an epic green salad is to use a variety of greens, like romaine, spinach, kale and rocket. You want leafy greens, but crunch too. Then you need the perfect dressing. Why not try our Lemon Vinaigrette, Honey and Mustard Dressing or Tomato and Basil Vinaigrette.
Here are some other side dishes that would compliment this prawn spaghetti well:
- Balsamic and Garlic Roasted Cauliflower
- Roasted Lemon Asparagus
- Broccoli Salad
- Roasted Garlic and Herb Mushrooms
- Spanish Olives
- Beetroot and Goats Cheese Salad
- Grilled Corn with Herb Butter
FAQs
Yes, you can easily make a creamy version of this. Just add a couple of tablespoons of creme fraiche, or even cream cheese.
If prawns aren't your thing, then you could swap them for flaked grilled salmon, or even leftovers from a Roast Chicken.
Yes, it is easy to make this gluten free. Just use your favourite gluten free spaghetti.
If you have leftovers of this, then you can store it in an air tight container in the fridge until the next day. To heat it up, put it in a frying pan with a splash of water to loosen it up and heat it through.
Extra tips
- When squashing the tomatoes (step 3), be careful as the insides will be hot and can squirt out. This step is needed as it creates a "sauce" for the dish.
- We used king prawns to make this, as we prefer the chunkier texture. You can use smaller prawns if you prefer, or shrimp as they are called in the US.
- Do not overcook this recipe, as the prawn will get a bit rubbery.
- You can add an extra kick of flavour by sprinkling some dried red chilli flakes on top before serving.
- When draining the spaghetti, add a little of the pasta water (just a splash). This helps to thicken the sauce up a little and will help it to cling to the spaghetti.
- Adding a pinch of sugar to the sauce really helps to bring out the flavour of the tomatoes.
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Recipe
Garlic Prawn Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 140 g spaghetti
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 5 garlic cloves crushed
- 150 g prawns
- 15 cherry tomatoes
- 100 g sun-dried tomatoes
- 20 g rocket (arugula)
- 1 lemon (juice and zest only)
- 1 pinch sea salt and black pepper
- 5 g fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Put the spaghetti in to a pan of boiling water and simmer for 12 minutes.140 g spaghetti
- Meanwhile, add the oil to a frying pan and gently heat on low. Add the garlic and cherry tomatoes and gently cook for 3 minutes.1 tablespoon olive oil, 5 garlic cloves, 15 cherry tomatoes
- Add the prawns and sun-dried tomatoes and cook for a further 2 minutes. Carefully squashing the cherry tomatoes so they burst.150 g prawns, 100 g sun-dried tomatoes
- Drain the spaghetti and add to the tomato mixture. Add the rocket (arugula), lemon juice and zest and salt and pepper Mix well and serve with fresh parsley sprinkled on top.20 g rocket (arugula), 1 lemon, 1 pinch sea salt and black pepper, 5 g fresh parsley
Notes
- When squashing the tomatoes (step 3), be careful as the insides will be hot and can squirt out. This step is needed as it creates a "sauce" for the dish.
- We used king prawns to make this, as we prefer the chunkier texture. You can use smaller prawns if you prefer, or shrimp as they are called in the US.
- Do not overcook this recipe, as the prawn will get a bit rubbery.
- You can add an extra kick of flavour by sprinkling some dried red chilli flakes on top before serving.
- When draining the spaghetti, add a little of the pasta water (just a splash). This helps to thicken the sauce up a little and will help it to cling to the spaghetti.
- Adding a pinch of sugar to the sauce really helps to bring out the flavour of the tomatoes.
Nutritional Information
This recipe is for, and inspired by, Izzie, aka Coriander Queen. We sadly lost one of our blogging friends, who died after a long battle, aged just 29. This post is our little tribute and way of saying goodbye.
Kristen Wood
I love the addition of sun-dried tomatoes and arugula..it sounds so flavorful!
Chenée
So many amazing flavors in this garlic prawn dish! With the spaghetti it was a delicious weeknight meal.
Irina
I made this pasta dish for our lunch today! WOW! It turned out perfect. It is absolutely delicious!
Natalie
Oh this looks sooo good. I have to make this tonight. It's such a light and delicious summer dinner idea. Love it!
Tristin Rieken
Loved the addition of arugula on top of this amazing garlic prawn spaghetti recipe. Thanks so much for the idea!