Asparagus Pasta with Prawns
This spaghetti with Asparagus and Prawns can be on your table in just 30 minutes. A fresh, light and full of flavor first course.
Servings: 4 people
Equipment
- vegetable peeler
Ingredients
- 350 gr Spaghetti
- 500 gr. green asparagus
- 12 shrimp tails with shell
- 1 shallot
- 1 clove of garlic peeled
- extra virgin olive oil
- 100 ml white wine
- zest of half a lemon
- chili pepper
- salt
Instructions
- Start by cleaning the asparagus: remove the white part, separate the stems from the tops and keep them aside.
- Peel the hardest part of the stems with a vegetable peeler and cut into rather thick slices. Chop the shallot and sauté it over low heat in a large non-stick pan with oil. Once ready, add the asparagus and cook for a few minutes or until tender, adding a few tablespoons of water, if necessary. Salt
- Pour the cooked asparagus into another narrow container and reduce to cream with an immersion mixer, adding a little pasta cooking water, until you get a cream.
- By making a delicate incision with a sharp knife on the back of the prawn, you can devein without removing the shell, which will release its flavor and keep the prawn softer while cooking.
- Heat 4 tablespoons of oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat, then add the garlic, chili flakes and saute until golden brown. Pour the shrimp tails with the shell, and after a minute the wine that you will let it evaporate. Season with salt and turn off.
- Heat a little oil in the pan used for the asparagus and brown the asparagus tips for a few minutes. Season with salt.
- Meanwhile, cook the Spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water.
- Transfer the asparagus cream to the non-stick pan. Drain the pasta, retaining a little of the cooking water, transfer to the pan with the cream, add the prawns and mix to mix the ingredients well. If necessary, add a few tablespoons of cooking water kept aside.
- Add the asparagus tips a little lemon zest (optional) and serve.
Notes
Tips
Don't forget to reserve some of the pasta cooking water. It contains starches that help the pasta create the sauce.
Do not remove the shell which will release its flavor and keep the prawn softer during cooking.
Use good quality prawns in this dish. I prefer using whole and raw prawns, when possible. I peel and devein them by myself, the texture is much better than the already peeled. If using frozen prawns thaw overnight and dry before cooking.
I always use a dry white wine for making prawn spaghetti.
Serve the pasta straight away!
Storage
The Asparagus Spaghetti with Prawns is best eaten immediately: If you have any leftovers, you can keep them in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container or covered with plastic wrap. They can be reheated in a pan over medium heat with a little extra olive oil.
Freezing is not recommended.