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.
One of the best prawn pasta recipes I have made and so quick to make. Goes well with a green salad.
Many Thanks Nagi you are a star….xxxxx
Great recipe, I used a seafood mix instead of just prawns and added spinach and baby broccoli along with dairy free cream (I can’t do real cream lol) turned out amazing, big thanks Nagi!
That’s great Kevin! I’m happy you liked it! N x
We added mushrooms and cherry tomatoes, this was amazing! New favourite for sure!
That’s great Olivia! Woohoooo!!! N x
Hubby has been asking if I could show him how to cook. So, we explored ‘Easy Recipes’. He was keen on Creamy Garlic Prawn Pasta. Purchased all the ingredients together and, tonight, I guided him through all the prep & cooking. WOW! What a sensational meal – thanks Nagi for the most delicious recipe!
Use fresh prawns. Stunning in its simplicity
I am happy you enjoyed it Joan!! N x
Absolutely fabulous. Easy to follow. Simple menu and the taste was incredible. Thank you!
Hi Nagi, just cooked this and it was delicious. I am basically addicted to your recipes. Will this freeze and if so for how long?
I live somewhere you can rarely buy fresh frozen , can you use frozen (cooked) and just flash fry them?
Hello Nagi, Which frozen prawns would you recommend please that I can buy from a supermarket .
Thanks so much in advance 🌻
Hi Kristine – I really like the raw frozen Argentinian/Patagonian prawns if they have them at your supermarket. They are raw but have a red colour so you do have to cook them. I have used the Fresh From The Sea brand and I think IJ Foods does them as well. N x
Hi Nagi love your recipes, especially this prawn pasta one. Kristine we find Aldi s raw frozen prawns fabulous for this, they are Argentinian as Nagi suggests, big and juicy, I greedily use a whole 500g bag, about AUD16 and great value, and cut them in half for this recipe, super yum!
The cup of water from the pasta, has starch in it, which binds the sauce together and makes a creamier texture. Normal tap water wouldn’t do the same and will make your dish runny
opps, i meant to reply to someone not add the to the comments! Sorry Nagi 🙂
You are exactly right Emma!! N x
I always forget to keep a cup of the water before draining the pasta. Can we use tap water instead
The cup of water from the pasta, has starch in it, which binds the sauce together and makes a creamier texture. Normal tap water wouldn’t do the same and will make your dish runny
Wow!!! So quick and easy, yet so delicious!
Great recipe and tips! So easy to make and tastes great – will definitely be making this again! Added some chilli flakes for a little spice (:
Best of the best! Beats the store bought pasta any day. Thanks Nagi for yet another awesome recipe!!
I cook larger volumes because I’m time poor but love great food, when I cooked this dish, it didn’t even last past lunch the next day. It was that good we couldn’t stop eating it. So today I used this fantastic recipe as a base to do a chicken and mushroom and added a chicken marinade prior to keep it soft and moist, using a part the left over marinade to cook the mushrooms and added a little spice at this stage as well. Everything else stayed the same and it worked perfectly again. I’m now looking at a beef version. Great recipe.
Today it’s Sunday , a lazy day !
Thinking of what’s for dinner tonight hummm. I have some cooked prawns in the freezer.
So I thought of a good creamy fettuccini pasta with prawns.
I came across ‘ recipetineats ‘
I will follow your recipe and will let you know. I bet already dinner tonight will be awesome with a glass of white !
Superb ! Quick and easy with a very authentic flavour. Grana Padano cheese works very well too.
This is recipe is superb, very tasty, the sauce was really nice. Thank you.
Hi Nagi, what are the measurements if substituting wine for chicken/vegetable stock?
Hi Kassandra, you’re subbing with the same amount that you would use for the wine – so 65ml (plus the added stock as the other ingredient) so it will be 3/4 cup in total. N x
just made your creamy prawn pasta., it was delicious. i did add squeezed lemon juice and zest, which made it even more delicious. thank you so much, will deffo be doing this regularly xxx
Great to hear, Diane! – Nxx
hi – cooked this for supper for two – delicious and easy to follow recipe – thank you