Try out this Pesto King Prawn Pasta for a quick midweek meal. Simple step by step guide showing you how to make this easy seafood pasta from scratch.
Raw King Prawn cooked with garlic, chilli and cherry tomatoes. Fusilli Lunghi / spaghetti or linguine can be added with a homemade or shop brought basil pesto.
Finished off with a sprinkle of parmesan.
Amazing shrimp recipe with a great flavoursome sauce. Best of all, this prawn pasta dish is ready in only 20 minutes.
How to make pesto king prawn pasta?
See our step by step slide show on how we made our Pesto King Prawn Pasta, seafood recipe at home.
The full ingredients and instructions can be found on the recipe card below in both UK grams and US ounces.
What pasta shape to use?
The first step is to boil your pasta, we tried out a new pasta shape this time, Fusilli Lunghi, a long corkscrew spiral-shaped pasta. We think it made this dish look amazing!
However you can use spaghetti, linguine, bucatini, fettuccine, tagliatelle or capellini
Experiment with whatever shape you like, just cook to the packet's instruction.
Cooking Raw King Prawns with Chilli and Garlic
Whilst the pasta is cooking, use a large cast-iron pan to fry off the raw king prawns.
Add crushed garlic and minced chilli you can use fresh or cheat like we did, using Gia Puree's to help make this dish even quicker.
How much chilli to add?
We use 1 tsp of chilli puree which is the equivalent to 1 medium spiced chilli. It is not too hot. You can omit the chilli completely or add extra? Make it as spicy as you like.
Once the prawns have been coated with chilli and garlic oil, add the halved cherry tomatoes. Season with salt & pepper.
Cook the king prawns and tomatoes for 5-8 minutes. Cooking time varies depending on the size of prawns used.
Can I use cooked king prawns?
If using pre-cooked king prawns it is best to fry the tomatoes with garlic and chilli before adding the prawns, the cooked prawns only need warming up not cooking.
By this time, the pasta will be ready to drain and add straight to the pan.
Finally, add the green basil pesto. You can buy a jar in the supermarket or make up your own batch? We have our own nut-free version Parmesan & Basil Pesto, which we used.
Stir the green basil pesto through on low heat until warmed through.
Pasta Serving suggestions
Serve with a sprinkling of Parmesan or Mozzarella cheese.
Why not add a side salad, or garlic bread or try our delicious Olive & Herb Focaccia Bread.
This prawn pasta can also make a great summer lunch served cold with rocket.
The Fusilli Lunghi pasta gives a great look to this dish. The kids loved slurping up the curly strands!
Pesto King Prawn Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 250 grams Pasta (9 oz) Shape of your choice we used Fusilli Lunghi
- 1 tsp Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Gia Garlic Puree or 2 cloves crushed garlic
- 1 tsp Gia Chilli Puree 1 finely chopped/ crushed chilli pepper
- 160 grams Raw King Prawns (5 ½ oz)
- 10 Cherry Tomatoes Halved
- 190 gram Basil Pesto (6 ½ oz)
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Parmesan Grated to serve
Instructions
- Cook pasta to packet instructions
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil, garlic and chilli in a large pan over medium-low heat.
- Add king prawns, stir them through the oil.
- Then add cherry tomatoes and season with salt & pepper.Cook on medium-low heat for 5-8 mins. Stirring occasionally.
- Drain pasta, transfer to the pan.
- Add basil pesto stir in on medium heat for 2-3 minutes, until warmed through.
- Serve with a generous scattering of parmesan.Enjoy!!
Video
Notes
Can I use cooked prawns?
Yes, you can, just add them after the tomatoes have had 5 minutes and warm them through with the oil for 3 minutes.Nutrition
This post was originally published on 12/02/2020 and had been modified on 09/04/2021. With updated recipe card, and a new video for how to make this king prawn pesto pasta recipe.
If you liked this Pesto King Prawn Pasta why not check out our One Pot Spicy Meatball Pasta. Our family favourite Cheesy Bolognese Pasta Bake. Or our Italian pot roast with pasta.
Looking for more King prawn recipe ideas? Try our King Prawn Salad with Chilli Dressing or King Prawn Masala Curry.
Please share a comment with us to let us know how you get on?
I have got to try those Gia purees! I bet they totally pack a big flavor punch. thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
Hi Jessica
The Gia purees are full of flavour and make prep time so much easier when making recipes 🙂
Hope you enjoy this Italian pot roast recipe!!
Looks good!
Thanks, Sondra
Hope you enjoy the pesto king prawn pasta 🙂
Yum! My sons loved this dish!
Thanks, Dennis for the comment and rating!
So glad to hear your son loved this recipe 🙂
My daughter loves pesto pasta, I bet she's gonna love this. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Great to hear, let us know the verdict! 😉
Now this is a pasta dish I can get behind. My grown kids would love it when they come to visit as well!
It is a firm favourite in our house for all the family!
I love a good pesto pasta! I love making my pesto from scratch. It makes everything so flavourful.
Can't beat fresh pesto!!
This looks delicious! That pasta is so interesting looking and I'm sure it tastes great. I think presentation in a dish, even at home, is so important! Thanks for the suggestion!
Thank you Candace, we like to mix up the pasta shapes to give some extra excitement to dinner time!
This looks like a great recipe. I will have to try it! 👓💖📸🍕🚢
Please do 🙂
I love a good one pan dish that isn't overly complicated. This looks so delicious and may be within my limited scope of kitchen skills. Definitely saving for later.
Thank you Ayishia! We aim to please!
Looks delicious and so quick and easy to make with only a few ingredients needed
Nice easy midweek dish!
Oh man, that looks really good. And those noodles look fun as well. Thank for sharing this yummy recipe with us!
It is pasta, but sure looks like noodles!
looks delicious! I love prawns personally and pesto too. so the dish is made in heaven for me
Glad to hear it! A great combo for sure!
that looks super tasty and delicious. Gotta try out this recipe soon 🙂
Thats great, enjoy!
Looks delicious. Going to try this. I'm always a fan of quick and easy hearty meals.
This is that meal!
One pot meals are the best, so maybe that's why you have so many of them! And this one looks amazing. I can't wait to try it!
We do like the one-pot method! Enjoy!
This recipe sounds super yummy! I'd have to make a few alterations to accommodate my allergies but my husband would LOVE this recipe as it!
Please share with us what you do and we will share it on the blog, how to accommodate for the allergy?