Prawns and Asparagus over Capellini

Tonight I paired my dinner with the Friday night cocktail, French 75, I made. So I opted to make a simple dish – prawns with asparagus in a sherry cream sauce served over capellini. Simple, rich, and delicately spiced, I figured this meal would accompany my Friday night cocktail superbly. And I was spot on, it did. So if you want a versatile prawn pasta dish, I suggest you give this one a try. With a few adjustments, you can change the flavor profile. Some adjustments that come to mind are adding lemon and/or capers, substituting spinach for the asparagus or chicken/scallops for the prawns, whisking in parmesan cheese for a quick alfredo style sauce, etc. Adjustments and tweaks like those are the things that keep me cooking… and I hope you enjoy it as well!

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Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Total time: 20 mins

Serves: 1

Ingredients

8 - 10 large prawns
1 cup asparagus, cut into 1 inch sections
2 tsp olive oil
1 small shallot, diced (approximately ¼ cup)
1 medium clove garlic, sliced thinly
¼ cup dry sherry
¼ cup heavy cream
½ tsp summer savory
½ tsp ground coriander
salt and pepper to taste
4 oz thin spaghetti

Instructions

Heat a large pot with water over high heat for the pasta.
- Typically dried thin spaghetti takes about 6 minutes to cook once added to the boiling water.
Place a large bowl with ice and water near the large pot for blanching the asparagus.
In a large skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil.
When the pasta is added to the water and stirred to separate, add the shallot to the large skillet.
Cook the shallot until it starts becoming translucent, approximately 2 minutes.
Add the prawns to the large skillet and toss to coat with the olive oil.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Place the asparagus in a colander or sieve and place into the boiling pasta water for 30 seconds.
Remove the asparagus to the ice bath to stop the cooking.
- The asparagus should be bright green, but still firm.
Reduce the heat in the large skillet before adding the sherry to keep it from flaming.
Add the sherry and cream, stir together and return the heat to medium.
Add the garlic, summer savory and coriander, stir to mix.
Increase the heat to medium high and bring the sauce to a light boil.
Drain the pasta well and add to the large skillet, tossing with tongs to coat and combine before serving.

Notes

This recipe is easily adjusted by changing the spices (use basil and oregano for more Italian flair), lemon juice and capers for a more 'picatta' style dish, substitute the prawns with chicken or scallops, substitute the asparagus with broccoli or spinach or... As you can see, there are many variations to make with this basic recipe.

Heat a large pot with water over high heat for the pasta. Typically dried thin spaghetti takes about 6 minutes to cook once added to the boiling water. Place a large bowl with ice and water near the large pot for blanching the asparagus. In a large skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil. When the pasta is added to the water and stirred to separate, add the shallot to the large skillet. Cook the shallot until it starts becoming translucent, approximately 2 minutes. Add the prawns to the large skillet and toss to coat with the olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Place the asparagus in a colander or sieve and place into the boiling pasta water for 30 seconds.

Remove the asparagus to the ice bath to stop the cooking. The asparagus should be bright green, but still firm.

Reduce the heat in the large skillet before adding the sherry to keep it from flaming. Add the sherry and cream, stir together and return the heat to medium. Add the garlic, summer savory and coriander; stir to mix. Increase the heat to medium high and bring the sauce to a light boil.

Drain the pasta well and add to the large skillet, tossing with tongs to coat and combine before serving.