Shrimp (Prawn) & Saffron Spaghetti
This shrimp (prawn) and saffron spaghetti is the kind of pasta that feels restaurant worthy but is surprisingly simple to make at home.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1/2 tsp saffron threads
- 1 cup olive oil
- 1 lb shrimp peeled and de-veined
- 1 onion finely diced
- 2 courgettes / zucchini roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 3/4 cup white wine
- 1/2 cup cream
- 1 lb spaghetti
- salt and pepper
- 1 tbsp parsley finely chopped
Instructions
- Saffron: Using a mortar and pestle, grind the saffron threads into a fine powder with a pinch of salt. Optionally, add an ice cube and set to the side.
- Pasta: In a large pot of heavily salted boiling water, add the pasta and cook as per the instructions on the packet pasta. Drain the pasta 2 minutes before the suggested cooking time and reserve up to 1 cup of pasta water. While the pasta cooks, prepare your sauce.
- Prawn oil: In a large fry pan over a medium – high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the prawn heads and shell and fry for 2 – 3 minutes or until the shells turn pink and the oil is orange. Strain the shells from the oil and discard of them. Reserve 4tbsp of prawn oil for this recipe and store the remaining oil in a glass jar in the fridge. This step is optional.
- Fry aromatics: Heat the prawn oil in the same frypan over a medium heat, then add the onion and courgette / zucchini. Cook for 3 - 5 minutes or until the onion starts to become translucent and the courgette / zucchini begin to colour. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 1 - 2 minutes.
- Prawns & saffron: Add the prawns and white wine and stir for 2 - 3 minutes or until the wine has largely evaporated and the prawns have turned pink. When most of the wine has evaporated, stir through the saffron and cream and season with salt and pepper.
- Pasta: Add the pasta to the sauce and stir through with half of the reserved cooking water. You may need a little more depending on the consistency of your sauce. Continue to stir through until you have a silky and glossy texture. Serve immediately with some finely chopped parsley.
Notes
• Use raw prawns, not pre-cooked. Pre-cooked prawns will become rubbery when reheated in the sauce.
• Shell-on prawns give you the option to make the prawn oil, which adds incredible depth, but peeled prawns work perfectly fine if you are short on time.
• Salt your pasta water generously. It should taste like the sea. This is essential for seasoning the spaghetti properly.
• Reserve at least ½ - 1 cup of pasta cooking water. Even in a cream-based sauce, a splash of starchy pasta water helps emulsify everything beautifully.
• Slice the zucchini thinly so it softens quickly and melts into the sauce rather than overpowering it.
Nutrition
Calories: 770kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 45g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 29g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 144mg | Sodium: 103mg | Potassium: 444mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 352IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 2mg
