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Spicy Garlic Prawn Mafalde Pasta in Tomato Sauce

This Spicy Garlic Prawn Mafalde Pasta in Tomato Sauce is a flavorful, restaurant-quality seafood pasta that combines juicy prawns with a rich tomato base and a touch of chili heat. Perfectly suited for weeknight dinners or special occasions, this recipe is easy to prepare, using mafalde pasta to hold the sauce beautifully, and delivers a satisfying balance of spice, acidity, and seafood sweetness.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 2 people
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 450
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Main Ingredients
  • 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 1 red chili finely chopped
  • 1 tin crushed tomatoes
  • 60 ml white grape juice or light vegetable broth
  • 165 g raw king prawns
  • 3 large prawns shell-on, optional
  • 2 tbsp parsley chopped
  • 200 g mafalde pasta or linguine
  • 1 tbsp olive oil for cooking

Method
 

Cooking Pasta
  1. Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package instructions until al dente.
  2. Reserve a small amount of pasta cooking water before draining.
Preparing Tomato-Chili Sauce
  1. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.
  2. Gently cook the garlic and chili for 2 minutes until fragrant, making sure not to burn the garlic.
  3. Add crushed tomatoes and simmer for 6 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken slightly.
  4. Stir in white grape juice or vegetable broth and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
Combining Pasta and Sauce
  1. Add the parsley and prawns to the sauce and cook until the prawns turn opaque and pink, about 3-5 minutes.
  2. Gently combine the cooked pasta with the sauce, adding reserved pasta water as needed to coat evenly.
  3. Serve immediately with extra parsley and chili sprinkled on top.

Notes

  • Use fresh garlic and chili for maximum flavor.
  • Reserve pasta water to help the sauce adhere to noodles.
  • Do not overcook prawns to maintain tenderness.