Creamy Cajun Prawn (Shrimp) Pasta

• servings: 4 servings
• active time: 10 minutes
• total time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

1 tbsp sweet paprika

1 tsp smoked paprika (optional)

2 tsp garlic powder

1½ tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried thyme

½ tsp onion powder

1 tsp sea salt flakes

½ tsp cracked black pepper

¼ tsp chilli powder (optional)

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) dried rigatoni

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) raw prawns (shrimp), shelled and deveined (fresh or thawed if frozen) (see note 2)

2 tbsp olive oil

¼ cup (60 ml) water

1 red onion, finely diced

1 tbsp freshly minced garlic

½ cup (80 g) marinated roasted capsicum (bell pepper) strips, drained

⅓ cup (80 g) tomato paste (concentrated puree)

1½ cups (375 ml) thickened (heavy) cream

11/3 cups (60 g) baby spinach leaves

1 cup (100 g) freshly grated parmesan, plus extra to serve

3 tbsp lemon juice

Sea salt flakes, to taste

Cracked black pepper, to taste

Directions

Cajun Spice Mix

To a small bowl, add all the ingredients for the spice mix. Mix well and set aside.

Pasta

Cook the pasta as per the packet instructions, less 1 minute – it will finish cooking when combined with the sauce. Reserve ½ cup (125 ml) of the cooking water (use a ladle or mug to scoop it out before draining). Drain and rinse the pasta with cold water (this stops the pasta overcooking and sticking together). Set aside.

Sprinkle half of the Cajun spice mix over the prawns. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Toss to coat.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large, deep, heavy-based frying pan over medium–high heat. Add the prawns and cook, tossing, for 1–2 minutes until the prawns have just changed colour (they will still be raw in the centre). Remove from the pan using a large spoon and set aside on a plate.

To the same pan, add the water if needed to deglaze and scrape up any sticky bits. Cook for 1–2 minutes until most of the water has evaporated.

Add the red onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 1–2 minutes until softened.

Add the capsicum and tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1–2 minutes.

Stir in the remaining Cajun spice mix along with the thickened cream. Simmer over medium–low heat, stirring, for 3–4 minutes or until the sauce has thickened slightly.

Return the prawns to the pan, along with the baby spinach and stir them through the sauce. Simmer for 1–2 minutes or until the prawns have cooked through and the baby spinach has wilted.

Add the parmesan and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Stir through the cooked pasta and add 1 tablespoon at a time of the reserved pasta cooking water to loosen the sauce to your desired consistency, if needed.

Serve immediately sprinkled with the extra parmesan.

Nutrition

• Calories: 1029
• Total Fat: 32 g
• Saturated Fat: 15.4 g
• Trans Fat: 0.6 g
• Cholesterol: 65.3 mg
• Sodium: 1590.4 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 155 g
• Dietary Fiber: 10.5 g
• Total Sugars: 10.8 g
• Protein: 37.2 g