This Creamy Garlic Prawn Pasta is for all those nights when nothing but a creamy pasta will do! It’s the pasta version of Creamy Garlic Prawns which features a creamy Alfredo sauce infused with garlic flavour tossed through with plump prawns (shrimp). Every pasta lovers’ dream come true!
Creamy Garlic Prawn Pasta
The weekend is here and we deserve a treat!!! Rather than heading out for dinner, I think you should make THIS luscious Creamy Garlic Prawn Pasta at home. 🙂
Yes it’s indulgent, but let me assure you, it’s a whole lot healthier than eating out. Because let’s face it – restaurant food is so good because it’s loaded with butter, oil and salt. I once went in search for a famous Mashed Potato recipe by Guillaume Brahimi, a renowned French Chef here in Australia, after having it at his restaurant. It’s made with 200g / 1 3/4 sticks butter for 600g / 1.2 lb of potato. THAT’S INSANE!!!!! I felt my arteries clogging up just reading the recipe!!!
So. This is rich but not crazy rich, you’ll certainly satisfy your creamy pasta craving but you won’t feel ill afterwards. 🙂 (Unless you have more than your fair share, which I cannot be held responsible for)
You don’t need gallons of cream for a great creamy pasta
This recipe serves 4 and is made with 1 1/4 cup of cream, which is just over 1/4 cups per serving. Which I think is actually a very reasonable amount for a cream pasta.
The sauce is thickened using a combination of freshly grated parmesan cheese and by emulsifying the sauce. If you’ve tried any of my other pasta recipes (like Bolognese, Shredded Beef Ragu, Tomato Prawn Pasta), you’d know that I (along with the entire nation of Italy) religiously do this mandatory step of tossing the pasta in the sauce on the stove with a splash of pasta cooking water. This makes the starch and fat in the sauce work its magic to thicken the sauce and makes it sticky so it clings to the pasta rather than sitting in a pool in the bottom of the skillet.
There’s no exception with creamy pastas. In fact, it’s most effective with creamy pastas because that’s how to thicken the sauce without using more and more cream.
Creamy pastas are so hard to shoot so you can see the creamy sauce coating the pasta. But do you see how there is no / little sauce pooled on the plate? That’s because it’s all on the pasta and prawns!
Best prawns for Creamy Prawn Pasta
I like making Creamy Garlic Prawn Pasta with small to medium prawns. (That’s shrimp, to those of you on the other side of the pond. 🙂 ) I find it easier to eat rather than jumbo sized prawns in pasta form, and you get more littered throughout. And because of this, I usually use (gasp, shock horror!) frozen peeled raw prawns.
I actually peeled fresh prawns when I made this the other day, pictured in the black skillet at the top of the post, and left the tail on. Which, for some reason, felt like I was making a point that the prawns are fresh ones I peeled myself, but in hindsight was completely impractical because it was such a pain to stop eating and pull the tail out of my mouth.
#FirstWorldProblems
Yes, peeling your own fresh prawns is better than using frozen. But because they are small, it is a pain so using frozen is completely acceptable – in my books. 🙂 Also, these days, you can get good quality frozen prawns even from grocery stores! (Look for Australian prawns, they are better quality).
After a non cream-based prawn pasta?
Try this Spicy Chilli Prawn Pasta with a tomato based sauce, or this Lemon Prawn Pasta, or my signature Restaurant-Worthy Prawn Linguine in Dinner (page 173) which features a stock made using the prawn shells.
If you’ve had a long week, I’m betting you are busting to get on that couch and flick on the TV to watch something that doesn’t require too much brain power. To complete that picture, all you need is a cozy bowl of homemade deliciousness and a glass of your favourite wine.
And in this vision I have, the cosy bowl of deliciousness is in the form of this Creamy Garlic Prawn Pasta. Get the water boiling, and you’ll be slurping this down in 20 minutes. (Wait a sec – that’s faster than take out!)
Happy weekend! – Nagi xx
PS One day, try the foil packet prawn and potato version of this recipe. Creamy garlic prawns + cheesy potatoes in a foil pack!
Watch how to make it
Note: The recipe has been updated to serve 4 rather than 3 – because who writes recipes for 3?! 🤭 Ingredients were scaled up accordingly then the only recipe step that changed to accomodate this was to cook the prawn in 2 batches rather than 1 because they won’t all fit in the pan in one go.
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Creamy Garlic Prawn Pasta
Ingredients
- 12 oz / 350g fettuccine , or other long strand pasta of choice
- 50 g / 3 tbsp unsalted butter , separated
- 500 g / 1 lb small or medium peeled prawns / shrimp , raw or 1kg / 2 lb whole unpeeled (Note 1)
- 4 garlic cloves , finely minced with a knife
- 1/2 cup Chardonnay or other dry white wine (Note 2 for sub)
- 1 1/4 cups heavy / thickened cream or regular cream, pouring cream etc, full fat (Note 3)
- 1/2 cup chicken broth (or fish or vegetable broth), preferably low sodium
- 3/4 cup (75 g) finely grated parmesan cheese (freshly grated) (Note 4)
- 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley , optional
- Black pepper
- Parmesan , for serving
Instructions
- Cook pasta – Bring to boil a large pot of water. Add a big pinch of salt and the pasta, then cook per packet MINUS 1 minute – it will finish cooking in the sauce later so we want it slightly under. (Note 5).
- Reserve water – Just before draining, scoop out 1 cup of pasta cooking water and set aside, we need this to thicken the sauce later. Drain pasta.
- Lightly cook prawns in 2 batches – Meanwhile, melt about 1/3 of the butter in a large non stick skillet over medium high heat. Add half the prawns, spread out, and cook for 1 1/2 minutes, then turn and toss using 2 spatulas for another 1 – 1 1/2 minutes until just barely cooked (the prawns will cook more in the sauce). Remove prawns into a bowl. Repeat – add half the remaining butter, cook the remaining prawns then remove.
- Sauté garlic – In the same skillet, add the remaining butter. Once melted, add the garlic and stir for 20 seconds until fragrant (don't let it burn, lower heat it needed).
- Deglaze – Add wine and stir. Simmer rapidly for 2 minutes, scraping the pan to dissolve any bits stuck to it into the liquid, until wine mostly evaporates (see video).
- Sauce – Add cream, broth and parmesan. Stir until the parmesan is melted, then leave to simmer for 1 1/2 minutes until it thickens slightly – it will still be quite watery though which is fine, it will thicken more in next step.
- Toss & thicken sauce – Add prawns, pasta plus about 1/4 cup of reserved pasta water. Toss pasta energetically (still on stove on medium high) and in 1 to 2 minutes, the sauce will thicken and start clinging to the pasta. It will seem like nothing is happening at first but trust the process, it will happen! If you take it too far and the sauce gets too thick, add a small splash of remaining reserved pasta cooking water to loosen and toss again (you can do this repeatedly as needed).
- Finish – Add most of the parsley and a grind of black pepper, taste and check if you need salt (I don't need more), then give it a quick toss.
- Serve immediately, garnished with remaining parsley and parmesan if desired.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Updated January 2026 to serve 4 rather than 3 (which is just an odd number, I am not sure what I was thinking!). Changes made were to cook the prawn in 2 batches rather than 1, and to sear the first side undisturbed, then toss with two spatulas to finish cooking through (turning one by one is a pain!).
More prawn (shrimp) pastas & risottos
And more ways to get your creamy pasta fix!
Fettucine Alfredo – also see One Pot Chicken Alfredo Pasta
Baked Mac and Cheese – and try the Shrimp version!
Browse all pasta recipes
Life of Dozer
He’s just the wrong colour.
This was probably the best pasta dish I ever cooked! It will definitely be a regular on the menu here, thanks so much Nagi 😊
Ridiculously good! The whole family reckon this is better then anything we’ve ever bought at a restaurant. Did up the garlic to 5 tsp (thank goodness none of us has to go to the office tomorrow, but yummm), used egg pasta and real stock (nagi you’ve convinced me forever to use real stock!). Awesome dish 🙏
My husband made this to use up some leftover crab meat and prawns on Boxing Day. It was delicious – not too heavy but indulgent, and we added some finely grated zucchini. My 6 and 8 year old sons loved it too and that alone means it will be made again and again. Thank you Nagi
This was sooooo gooood. I would recommend adding the zest of one lemon (I did 1/12 times the recipe ingredients and this addition made it next level).
I’m guilty of tagging too many recipes based on ingredients or cuisine, etc which sometimes leaves me spoilt for choice when deciding what to cook. But when pressed, I’ll opt for those sites I can really on for a great result. And I come back to recipetineats time and time again! This was another winner. Thank you, Nagi!
I have your cookbook! The first recipe I made was your Restaurant-Worthy Easy Prawn Linguine. I had bought some lovely frozen Queensland tiger prawns in shell, so was exploring how best to use them. The recipe took me out of my comfort zone as I had to deal with the messy business of shelling the prawns. At one point the tomalley (roe) which looks a disgusting runny brown squirted out and hit me in the face! But I knew it is the essence of flavour and soldiered on… It took me 3 times longer than you to complete the recipe as I approached with trepidation. I had no anchovies, but the stock didn’t suffer. I didn’t have linguine, but I did have tubular spaghetti which I swear gathers up flavour with every slurp. The recipe is brilliant! I have left-over prawn stock, which I hope to use in this lovely, creamy pasta dish!
im going to cook this for my friends who are coming for lunch on Wednesday.
wish me luck, it sounds delicious, I love anything creamy
So easy and DELICIOUS! Highly recommend on “cheat” night. Thanks, Nagi!
Made this tonight, excellent and easy
Parmesan is never used with seafood
Added sautéed mushrooms at the end and served with garlic toast. My family is obsessed and impressed. A new regular meal. Thank you for the wonderful recipe! I didn’t need to change a thing.
My family and I loved this recipe. My son usually doesn’t like cheese based pastas but enjoyed this. I added in courgette and sun-dried tomatoes 😊
I stirred in a tablespoon of crab pate to give it a more seafood taste! It worked really well.
another beautiful recipe from Nagi.No leftovers and everyone loved it . I added a small amount of chilli flakes to the recipe. Served it with slices of coles sourdough vienna loaf.Carb overload but very nice
Really lovely recipe but I stirred in a tablespoon of crab pate to give it a more seafood taste! It worked really well.
This was sooooo good. I followed each step exactly as written and it was a restaurant quality meal at home… YUM!
I love pasta and was looking for a quick/easy recipe to use some prawns that was originally bough for a risotto and what an amazing dish! My boyfriend loved it and I’m very happy I chose this as my “cheat meal” this week,
Loving your recipes, they’re so good. Thank you
Really enjoyed this meal , even my very fussy son , full of flavour and will be making again ..
This was incredible! I cook your recipes all the time and our family loves all of them, but this one was next level. My six year old had three serves. We will definitely have this again, it was super simple, super cheap, and super delicious!
I am so excited to try this! A little nervous as I have never cooked prawns before but really wanted to try something new. I came across your recipe and WOW it looked to amazing not to try. I am reading the recipe thoroughly and read all the comments and felt like I came across a GEM!!! Thank you for this and I will let you know how it goes…making on Monday. Wish Me Luck and have a wonderful day Nagi 🙂 !!!
Good luck Janice!! N x
How would you adapt this for already cooked prawns? I have frozen prawn but they’re not green- I was thinking a little seat at the beginning in the butter and then a quick toss at the end?