Prawn and tomato spaghetti with bisque

TIME1 hour MAKES3-4 servings PORTION
0.5x 1x 2x 3x

A simple prawn and tomato spaghetti dish, with a super creamy bisque sauce. You can add additional seafood to the pasta if you wish (e.g., scallops). This recipe will make about 500ml of bisque, you can use the leftovers for dishes such as risotto.

INGREDIENTS

  • 300-500g prawns (shell on, head on)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 shallot (finely diced)
  • 1 garlic clove (finely diced)
  • Chilli flakes
  • 200g cherry tomatoes (halved)
  • Parsley
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Bisque

  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 carrot (roughly chopped)
  • 1 onion (roughly chopped)
  • 1 celery (roughly chopped)
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 100ml white wine
  • Bay leaf
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1-2 tbsp white miso
  • Salt, pepper, and MSG, to taste

STEPS

  1. Peel and de-vein the prawns, saving the heads and shells for the bisque. Place the peeled prawns in a bowl, add a large pinch of salt, and leave in the fridge.

  2. In a medium saucepan, add 3 tbsp of vegetable oil, and over medium-high heat saute the prawn heads and shells for approximately 10 minutes. Add the carrot, onion, and celery, and continue to fry until softened. Add the tomato paste and fry for 30 seconds until slightly caramelized, and then add the white wine, cooking until mostly evaporated.

  3. Add water (or stock) until the prawns and vegetables are just about covered. Add the garlic cloves and bay leaf, bring to a boil, and then turn down the heat and leave to simmer for 30-45 minutes.

  4. Remove the bay leaf, add the miso, and using an immersion blender blend the bisque, prawn shells and all. Pass through a strainer, and season with salt, pepper, and MSG to taste. Set aside.

  5. Fry the prawns over medium-high heat on each side (about 30 seconds) until not quite cooked through (the prawns will continue cooking when added to the pasta).

  6. Boil the spaghetti as per the package instructions, cooking for 1-2 minutes less than the packet instructions.

  7. While the pasta is boiling, add olive oil to the pan used to fry the prawns, and add the diced shallots and garlic, frying until softened. Add the halved cherry tomatoes to the pan (cut side down) until blistered, and then add about 250ml of bisque and allow it to reduce.

  8. When ready, add the spaghetti (and a splash of pasta water) directly to the pan with the tomatoes and the bisque to finish cooking. Agitate the pan to thicken and emulsify the sauce, and then serve with parsley.

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