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Creamy Rosé Pasta with Prawns

Close-up top view of creamy rosé pasta with prawns on a plate.

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5 from 2 reviews

Pasta, garlic, onion, roasted cherry tomatoes, prawns, fresh basil and a showstopping rosé wine cream sauce come together in this delicious and elegant pasta dish. Perfect for date night, entertaining, Valentine’s Day, or any night in!

Ingredients

Scale

For the Roasted Cherry Tomatoes:

  • 15 ounces / 425 grams Cherry Tomatoes (or Grape Tomatoes) – rinsed, pat-dried, halved
  • 1 TBLS Extra Virgin Olive Oil (or Olive Oil)
  • ¼ TSP Kosher Salt, to taste
  • ¼ TSP freshly cracked Black Pepper, to taste
  • ¼ TSP Herbs de Provence (or Italian Seasoning)

For the Creamy Rosé Pasta with Prawns:

  • 12 ounces / 340 grams uncooked Gemelli or Casarecce Pasta (or any short-cut shape or noodle-type pasta)
  • 1.5 TBLS Extra Virgin Olive Oil (or Olive Oil)
  • 2 TBLS Unsalted Butter
  • ½ Yellow Onion – finely minced
  • 6 Garlic Cloves – finely minced
  • 3 TBLS All-Purpose Flour
  • 3 TBLS Calabrian Chili Pepper Paste
  • 2 TBLS Double Concentrated Tomato Paste
  • 1 cup Dry Rosé Wine (I used a Côtes de Provence)
  • 2 cups Whole Milk
  • 2.5 TSP Kosher Salt, to taste
  • 1 TSP freshly cracked Black Pepper, to taste
  • 1 TSP Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, to taste
  • 1.5 TSP ground Cayenne (optional), to taste
  • ½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese
  • 12 ounces / 340 grams peeled and deveined Jumbo Black Tiger Prawns (size: 16/20) – rinsed and pat-dried, cut into three smaller pieces each (or use shrimp or smaller prawns and leave them whole)
  • 1 TBLS freshly squeezed Lemon Juice
  • ½ cup fresh Italian Basil Leaves – finely sliced
  • To Serve: More freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese and sliced fresh Italian Basil

Instructions

For the Roasted Cherry Tomatoes:

  1. Roast the cherry tomatoes: Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F. Line a baking tray with a sheet of aluminum foil. Rinse and pat-dry the cherry tomatoes, then cut them in half and add to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Drizzle the extra virgin olive oil on top and season with the kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and Herbs de Provence. Toss to coat, then spread the tomatoes out on the prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes until nicely roasted and blistered. Transfer the pan to a wire cooling rack and set aside until ready to use.

For the Creamy Rosé Pasta with Prawns:

  1. Prepare the ingredients: Finely mince the onion and garlic, and finely slice the basil leaves. Combine the kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper, crushed red pepper chili flakes, and ground cayenne in a small bowl. Cover to prevent the seasonings and spices from blowing everywhere. Measure out the rosé wine and milk in individual measuring cups. Rinse and pat-dry the jumbo prawns, then cut them into three smaller pieces each. (Note: If using smaller prawns or shrimp, you can leave them whole). Grate the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and set aside.
  2. Cook the pasta: Cook the pasta 2 minutes shy of al-dente according to package instructions in a large pot (or the same large deep sauté pan you’ll use to make the pasta dish) of boiling salted water. Drain and set aside. (I like to run water cold water over the pasts to prevent it from sticking and cooking further.)
  3. Sauté aromatics: Heat 1.5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a large deep sauté pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onion and garlic and sauté for a minute or until the onion has softened and the garlic is fragrant.
  4. Make the sauce: Whisk in the all-purpose flour, tomato paste, and Calabrian chili pepper paste. Cook for 1-2 minutes, then slowly pour in the rosé wine and continue whisking. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, until the mixture thickens and the wine has reduced by half. Lower the heat to medium and gradually pour in the milk while continuing to whisk.
  5. Add the seasonings and cheese: Stir in the kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, and ground cayenne. Simmer for a minute to let the flavors meld, then stir in the freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese until fully melted. The sauce will start to thicken.
  6. Cook the prawns: Add the prawns and cook for 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the prawns have just cooked through.
  7. Add the lemon juice, pasta, and cherry tomatoes: Add the freshly squeezed lemon juice and pasta and toss for 3-5 minutes, until the sauce further thickens and everything is coated will in the sauce. (Note: The sauce might look too liquidy at first, but cream sauces tend to settle once off the heat so don’t worry.) Then add the roasted cherry tomatoes and toss for 1-2 minutes to combine. Switch off the heat and stir through the basil.
  8. To Serve: Divide the pasta evenly onto plates, and garnish with more freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and basil if desired. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Equipment

Notes

  1. Calabrian Chili Pepper Paste. This smoky and spicy paste is made with Italian Calabrian chili peppers, and can be found at Whole Foods, Williams Sonoma, or purchased online from Amazon.
  2. Rosé Wine. Use a crisp dry rosé wine, not a sweet one. The latter will overpower the dish with a sweet flavor. I recommend using a Côtes de Provence because its light body and delicate flavor compliments seafood and cream sauces dishes.
  3. To make this milder. Use less crushed red pepper flakes and ground cayenne, or omit completely.
  4. Storing. Store any leftovers in a sealed airtight container for 2-3 days in the fridge. Reheat on high in the microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds to two minutes, stirring once in between, until hot throughout. I recommend holding off on garnishing leftovers with extra basil and grated cheese until after reheating.
  5. See ‘Variations’ section above if you’d like to customize this pasta dish with a different protein, make it vegetarian/vegan, gluten-free, and for more ideas.

Nutrition