Easy Prawn Pasta
, Updated Jul 28, 2025
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This easy prawn pasta recipe is sure to impress! Juicy king prawns cooked in a vibrant tomato and chorizo sauce, tossed with pasta for a flavor-packed, 20-minute dinner.
Prawn pasta is my go-to dish whenever the fridge is empty and I feel THIS close to ordering take away. I always have a few packs of frozen prawns in the freezer just so I can make this quick pasta dish.
It uses just a handful of ingredients apart from the prawns, cooks really quickly and is fairly healthy too. Add spicy chorizo or smoked bacon and you can transform this simple prawn pasta into a delicious meal fit for date night!
Here’s What You Will Need
- Spicy chorizo adds such a lovely piquant flavor to this easy prawn pasta. You can leave it out or replace it with bacon if you prefer.
- Shallots and garlic for an aromatic base
- Butter – adding it to the this fresh tomato sauce makes it rich and velvety!
- Fresh tomatoes – I love using baby cherry tomatoes (grape tomatoes) as they cook quickly and are sweet. If tomatoes are not in season then you can use canned cherry tomatoes.
- White wine and red vinegar
- Large prawns or jumbo shrimp – ideally raw king prawns. If you are using frozen prawns then soak them in cold water for 15 minutes and drain before using.Fresh kale or spinach for a touch of green – I used the baby kale I had growing in my vegetable patch.
- Grated parmesan (I know adding cheese to seafood pasta is anathema to some but I say add it if you like it!)
- Spaghetti or linguine are my pasta of choice for this prawn dish but you can use whatever pasta you like of course. I used wholemeal spaghetti in the recipe video (only pasta in the house… not sure how that happened).
How to Make This Easy Prawn Pasta
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt and cook the spaghetti until al dente (about a minute less than pack instructions).
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pan, add the chorizo and cook over high heat until it starts to release some of its spicy oil.
- Reduce the heat to medium–low, add the diced shallots and sauté for 5 minutes. Stir in the red wine vinegar, butter, garlic and chilli paste.
- Add the chopped tomatoes. Season with the salt and sugar, stirring to combine. Add in the wine and bring to a rolling simmer. Cook until the tomatoes start to break down and release their juices.
- Add the prawns and cook for a couple of minutes or until they turn pink. Stir in the chopped kale or spinach and stir into the sauce so that it wilts.
- Check the seasoning and adjust if necessary. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and use tongs to toss it so that it is coated in the sauce. Add grated parmesan and red pepper flakes and serve.
Leftovers and Storage
Got leftovers? Lucky you—this prawn pasta is even more delicious the next day! Transfer any leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to two days. Seafood doesn’t have the longest shelf life, so it’s best eaten sooner rather than later. Warm leftovers in a pan over low heat with a splash of water, stock or cream to loosen the sauce. Try not to overcook the prawn as they can turn rubbery if overheated. Freezing is not recommended.
Recipe Tips
- Reserve some of the pasta water before draining, you can use this to loosen the sauce if needed.
- Use any kind of wine for this recipe – ideally white but red is fine also. If you don’t want to use wine you can replace it with vegetable stock.
- If using ready-cooked prawns, add them right at the end to heat through.
- Add a hint of spice with a pinch of red pepper flakes when serving.
HAVE YOU MADE MY PRAWN PASTA RECIPE? Please leave a rating, post a photo on my Facebookpage, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #supergoldenbakes and make my day!
Easy Prawn Pasta
Video
Ingredients
- 10 ½ oz (300g) dried spaghetti or linguine / pasta of your choice
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 1½ oz (100g) spicy chorizo chopped
- 2 large shallots , finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp chilli paste or sriracha
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tsp red wine vinegar
- 14 oz (400g) cherry tomatoes, halved or use canned
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ cup (125ml) dry white wine
- 1 pound (450h) raw king prawns or jumbo shrimp
- large handful chopped baby kale or spinach
- 3 tbsp Parmesan grated, or to taste
- pinch red pepper flakes to taste
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt and cook the spaghetti until al dente (about a minute less than pack instructions). Reserve some of the pasta water before draining.10 ½ oz (300g) dried spaghetti
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pan, add the chorizo and cook over high heat until it starts to release some of its spicy oil.1 tbsp olive oil, 3 1½ oz (100g) spicy chorizo
- Reduce the heat to medium low, add the diced shallots and saute 5 minutes.2 large shallots
- Stir in the red wine vinegar, butter, garlic, chilli paste and add the chopped tomatoes. Season with the salt and sugar, stirring to combine.2 cloves garlic, 1 tsp chilli paste , 2 tbsp butter, 2 tsp red wine vinegar, 14 oz (400g) cherry tomatoes, , 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar
- Add the wine and bring to a rolling simmer. Cook until the tomatoes start to break down and release their juices.½ cup (125ml) dry white wine
- Add the prawns and cook for 3-4 minutes or until they turn pink.1 pound (450h) raw king prawns
- Add the chopped kale or spinach and stir into the sauce so that it wilts. Check the seasoning and adjust if necessary.large handful chopped baby kale
- Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and use tongs to toss together. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Serve with the grated parmesan and red pepper flakes and serve.3 tbsp Parmesan, pinch red pepper flakes, Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Notes
- Reserve some of the pasta water before draining, you can use this to loosen the sauce if needed.
- Use any kind of wine for this recipe – ideally white but red is fine also. If you don’t want to use wine you can replace it with vegetable stock.
You can use ready cooked prawns, just stirring them in at the end to heat through. - Increase the heat by adding a pinch of chilli flakes when serving.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.
My husband said that this recipe is a keeper! I used tinned Tom’s (Mutti) and spinach. I also had cooked prawns which I heated separately in some of the sauce. That worked Perfectly. I added them at the end.
Glad you both enjoyed it!