Ever wonder how to create a truly gourmet Italian pasta with prawns that tastes like it came from a seaside restaurant in Liguria? The secret isn’t in a complex recipe, but in one foundational technique. In this video, I’m sharing the simple principles that will empower you to create your own perfect versions at home, every single time. We’ll start with the most important pillar of Italian cuisine: sourcing the absolute freshest ingredients. I’ll show you the secret to unlocking the incredible, profound flavor from the prawn heads to create a naturally creamy sauce (hint: no cream needed!). We’ll then apply this single, versatile method to create two completely different dishes: a delicate and crunchy pasta with zucchini, and a sweet and vibrant pasta with cherry tomatoes. You’ll master the technique, and finally understand why real Italians insist you never, ever add cheese to seafood pasta.
To print the recipe for pasta with prawns and cherry tomatoes:
To print the recipe for pasta with prawns and zucchini:
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Ingredients
14 oz – 400 g fresh prawns
1 lb – 450 g long pasta spaghetti or linguine
1 lb – 450 g cherry tomatoes
1 shallot
10 fresh basil leaves
0.5 cup dry white wine (optional)
salt & pepper
1 tbsp salt for pasta
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Ingredients
14 oz – 400 g fresh shrimp
3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves peeled garlic cloves
4 zucchini
1 lemon zest
0.5 cup dry white wine (optional)
1 lb – 500 g spaghetti
1 tablespoon sea coarse salt for the pasta
salt & pepper
Introduction (0:00)
Pillar of Italian cuisine (0:52)
Buying the right prawns (1:27)
Choosing your aromatic (2:24)
Choosing the vegetables (2:45)
Introduction to zucchini trombetta di albenga (3:40)
How to select zucchini (4:06)
Ingredients (4:32)
Choosing the pasta (4:46)
Preparing the prawns (5:31)
Preparing the two sauces (5:45)
Deveining the prawns (8:19)
Putting it all together, sauce, pasta and prawns (9:00)
Finishing up and serving (9:47)
00:00:00:01 – 00:00:06:04
Unknown Italian perfection is not a
myth. It’s simpler than you think. It’s all in the head.
00:00:06:04 – 00:00:10:11 Unknown
Welcome to your guardian chef. Your angel in the kitchen.
00:00:15:04 – 00:00:24:24 Unknown
Today we learned the authentic Italian way to make the perfect
pasta with prawns. I’m not just sharing a recipe, I’m sharing the foundational Italian technique.
00:00:24:24 – 00:00:27:05 Unknown
First, I will teach you the core principle.
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Then I will show you how this single method can create two completely
different classic dishes, one with fresh zucchini and another one with sweet cherry tomatoes.
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You will have the secret to create endless variation.
Just like in Italian. And I promise you, the flavor will be so pure and perfect that you
will finally understand why Italian insists to never adding cheese on seafood, pasta.
00:00:52:11 – 00:01:08:15 Unknown
Before we start, it’s crucial to understand a pillar of Italian cuisine. The
absolute freshness of the ingredients. In Italy, the main ingredient is always the star. And its
natural flavor is meant to shine. This is why our cuisine is so regional.
00:01:08:17 – 00:01:27:20 Unknown
We cook with what is local and in-season, so you’ll always find the best seafood in coastal
towns as it’s fresh from that day’s catch. To honor this principle, we are going to Liguria
to source the famous Gamberi di Sanremo. Caught fresh this morning right here in the Bay.
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So the first secret to this recipe starts before
you even turn on the stove. You have to use the whole prawn because the
flavor, it’s all in the head. 00:01:39:05 – 00:01:55:18
Unknown So how do you find prawns for this dish.
The first stop should always be a trusted fishmonger. For me, it’s Ventimiglia market.
When I know the catch is always fresh. There is a simple, not negotiable test.
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Touch the prawn. This should feel firm. Clean and never slimy. If they’re slimy. Walk away.
00:02:04:18 – 00:02:24:08 Unknown
If you cannot find a good quality prawn, either fresh or
frozen, then I would recommend you skip this recipe altogether. Because the principal
of Italian cuisine is the quality of the ingredient. And if you don’t have a good
prawn, then you might as well go and look for a recipe that adds cheese.
00:02:24:08 – 00:02:35:24 Unknown
Now you have to choose your aromatic and you can either choose garlic or shallot.
But in Italy we will never use the two together. It’s a contrast too many flavors.
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we use shallot instead of onion because the shallot has a more delicate
flavor that combines better with seafood. While, onions is much stronger.
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From this base, we will show you how to create two completely
separate dishes, one with zucchini and another with cherry tomatoes.
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You notice. I’m making the two plates separately. One with
tomatoes and one with zucchini because I don’t want the two flavors to,
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fight with each other. So I rather keep it simple.
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leave just one ingredient
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the real goal of this video is to teach you the fundamental technique
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So I encourage you to find the vegetable that you want
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to try. 00:03:20:04 – 00:03:21:20
Unknown But, recommend following
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two simple principles. First of all, get the
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vegetables that are in season. When you’re making this dish. And secondly, do not use
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very strong 00:03:30:21 – 00:03:33:02
Unknown flavor. So
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for example, 00:03:34:05 – 00:03:34:24
Unknown spinach,
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red pepper 00:03:35:21 – 00:03:36:22
Unknown broccoli.
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Their flavor would be too strong to add to this dish.
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Since I’m in Liguria, I have to use a local specialty. Called zucchini trombetta.
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It’s completely different from a standard zucchini. It’s long and slender, with
the seed concentrated only on the very end. This means that the rest is pure, crunchy, almost meaty
flesh, perfect for this dish. If you ever see them at the market, I highly recommend you try them.
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if you’re using regular zucchini I recommend to buy them small. Never find this big one.
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I often see enormous zucchini outside of Italy and I would never buy them.
They have been left on the plant for too long, so they become very watery and filled with large
seeds. Essentially, you are paying for higher price for mostly water in Italy.
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The farmer will never sell those. We will give it to the pigs.
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These are the ingredients you’ll need for the zucchini version, and these
are the ones for the cherry tomato version. The exact measurements are in the description below,
and you can find and print the full details recipe on the blog on the link above.
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Now let’s talk about the pasta itself. I highly
recommend long pasta. It is spaghetti, Linguini or Bucatini
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You want a pasta with a substantial bite that can stand up to the firm flesh of the prawn.
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The goal is to be able to wrap the strand around
the prawn, creating that one perfect, satisfying mouthful.
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For this recipe, I’m using fresh spaghetti. I make myself with the
KitchenAid attachment and if you want the recipe, you can find it on the link here.
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Now if you find this information useful. Remember to like the video and subscribe to the channel.
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And I’m not a chef. I’m Italian, and for us, food is like a religion.
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Now let’s begin cooking. First, rinse your fresh prawns under cold running water. If they have very
long antennae, trim them off. Otherwise they can break off and get lost in your sauce.
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there is the need to understand why I’m
using two different cooking methods for this two ingredients.
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The reason is very simple. The water content cherry
tomatoes will release a lot of their own water, creating a beautiful juicy sauce
naturally. Zucchini, on the other hand, absorbs the liquid and need more time to cook.
Because this is a fundamental difference. We will cook the tomatoes with the prawns, but we
will cook the zucchini completely separately. This will ensure the best texture for both dishes
and prevent the zucchini from drying out all the precious prown infused sauce.
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So let’s handle the zucchini first. In a separate pan fry the sliced
zucchini in a little olive oil until they are golden and nicely browned.
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Once they’re cooked, set them aside. Now is the perfect time to start cooking your pasta, as we
will need some of the starchy water for the sauce. Let’s create our sauce base for the zucchini
pasta. We begin by stir frying garlic in olive oil for the cherry tomato pasta. We will
stir fry shallots until they are softened. Then add the cherry tomatoes and fresh basil.
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For both, use a low to medium heat. Now for the most important step, which is the
same for both recipes. Add the whole prawns to the pan with the head still on. Stir fry them
gently until they begin to change color from gray to pink. Keep the heat low. This is crucial.
Low heat encourages the incredible flavor to slowly release from the head.
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Next, we deglaze the pan with a splash of white wine. The best choice is a dry, crisp
wine like a Sauvignon blanc or Pinot Grigio. Let the alcohol cook off for a minute.
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If you don’t want to use wine, a squeeze of lemon juice, is a good alternative, but make sure
that it matches with the vegetables that you’re using. So, for example, I would not use it for the
cherry tomatoes and never use wine and lemon juice together it is just unnecessary.
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The prawns cook very quickly. So once they are fully pink, remove them from
the pan to prevent them from overcooking. You can even put just the heads back in the sauce to
continue adding flavor. But make sure no legs or antennae are left behind.
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Now we prepare the prawns for serving. You can add them back to the sauce whole
and let your guests peel them at the table. Or you can peel yourself if you peel them. You’ll need
to devine them. After removing the shell, look for the dark line running along the prawns back.
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This is the digestive tract. It’s not harmful, but it can have a gritty
texture so it’s best to remove it. Simply make a shallow incision along the back with a small
knife and use the tip to lift it out. It should come out easily in one piece.
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I use a special 00:08:54:24 – 00:08:56:00
Unknown deviner knife
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and you can find the affiliate link to buy it.
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On the Amazon. 00:08:59:11 – 00:09:00:16
Unknown Right here on top.
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Once peeled and devined, return the prawn meat to the sauce just to warm through.
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Now you can also add the zucchini into the pan. When your pasta is
al dente, drain it and add it directly to the pan with your finished sauce
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I always recommend to cook the pasta for one minute less than what it’s written on the box,
because we are cooking the pasta in the pan with the prawns, so we want it to be nice al dente.
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For both sauces, make sure they don’t become too dry. If they do.
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Add a small ladle of the starchy water from your boiling pasta.
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This starch help to thicken the sauce and make it creamy. And
this is how we achieve a rich texture in Italy. We will never add cream
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Toss everything together well. To finish the tomato
version season with a generous amount of freshly cracked pepper. To finish the
zucchini version season with black pepper and some fresh lemon zest.
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Do not add lemon juice the wine already provides the
acidity, and the zest provides a beautiful aroma without making it too sour.
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Serve immediately piping hot. And there you have it. Not just
one, but two perfect prawn pastas made with one fundamental Italian technique.
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The secret was never about a large list of complicated ingredients,
it is good quality ingredients in season. And we kept it very simple.
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Trust the freshness. Keep it simple and you will always cook like an Italian.
00:10:35:21 – 00:10:46:13 Unknown
For more pasta with seafood recipes like this one. Check out the playlist I’ve linked for
you. And don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss out on our next culinary adventure!
00:10:46:13 – 00:10:50:13 Unknown
They call it a vein, but it’s actually the intestinal track.
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Yuck.