This simple and snappy weeknight seafood pasta recipe, developed by the talented Yewande Komolafe, features spot prawns, the sweet and umami-rich crustacean that is so decadent that its sometimes referred to as the "lobster of Alaska." The ingredients in this garlic pasta recipe are quite simple — lemon, herbs, and lots of garlic — but when combined with spot prawns, it's a meal that sets itself apart from typical shrimp pasta recipes.
Helpful Notes and Substitutions:
Your favorite long pasta — linguine, fettuccine or spaghetti — will all work well here. If you have different onions, you can sub these in for shallots. You can also add slivered snap peas or asparagus at the tail end of the cooking process — any tender vegetables that you have on hand will do!
Make sure to reserve some pasta water to finish the dish. Don't worry about measuring out how much pasta water to save — simply reserve a ladle or so of it to add back to the sauté pan, as this starchy water is going to give you a nice creaminess to the pasta. It will also help marry the flavors, influsing them throughout the dish.
Peeling the spot prawns ahead will work fine, but we recommend keeping the spot prawn shells on as they will lend a lot of flavor to the dish. For shells on, you’ll need to sear at a slightly higher heat than you would with peeled prawns, so the shells break down and become delightfully crisp.
