Creamy Prawn Pasta | Packed with Bold Seafood Flavour and No Cream Needed

This seafood pasta is rich and creamy — without using cream. It’s all about extracting flavour from the prawn shells and heads, paired with cherry tomatoes and finished in a luscious, emulsified sauce that clings perfectly to short pasta.

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About This Dish

Instead of adding cream, we build a natural “bisque-style” base by toasting prawn heads and shells with garlic, chilli, and tomatoes, then deglazing with white wine and blending. The strained sauce becomes velvety and complex, letting the sweet prawn meat shine without heaviness — a classic coastal Italian trick for maximum flavour.

What I Used (Serves 2)

Metric shown first; US measurements in parentheses.

Rigatoni or paccheri:	220 g (≈ 8 oz)
Prawns (heads & shells reserved):	300 g (≈ 10.6 oz; peeled ~180–200 g / 6.3–7.1 oz)
Cherry tomatoes:	10 pieces (≈ 1 cup halved)
Garlic cloves:	2
Dry white wine:	120 ml (½ cup / 4 fl oz)
Chilli (optional):	1 small (or flakes to taste)
Fresh parsley:	2 tbsp chopped (⅛ cup)
Extra virgin olive oil & salt:	As needed

How to Make It

Prep Time: 15 mins | Cook Time: ~20 mins | Total: ~35 mins

Step 1: Clean prawns. Separate heads/shells from meat, remove the intestinal tract. Pat prawn meat dry and keep chilled.
Step 2: In a tall pot, warm olive oil over medium-high with 1 smashed garlic clove, chilli, and a spoon of parsley. Add prawn heads/shells and lightly toast 1–2 minutes, pressing heads to release juices. Add half the cherry tomatoes.
Step 3: Deglaze with white wine, let the alcohol evaporate, cover, and cook 7 minutes.
Step 4: In a wide pan, add olive oil, 1 sliced garlic clove, a little parsley, and remaining tomatoes. Sauté 2 minutes; turn off heat.
Step 5: Remove the large prawn heads from the pot. Blend the remaining shells/tomatoes/liquid until smooth. Strain directly into the wide pan to obtain a silky sauce.
Step 6: Boil pasta in well-salted water until just shy of al dente. While it cooks, bring the sauce to a gentle simmer; add prawn meat and cook 1–2 minutes until just opaque.
Step 7: Transfer pasta to the pan with a splash of pasta water. Toss and reduce 2–3 minutes until glossy and creamy, adding more water as needed to emulsify.
Step 8: Finish with chopped parsley and a drizzle of good olive oil. Serve immediately.

Tucci’s Tips

Press the prawn heads with a spoon while toasting — that’s where the flavour is.

Blend hot liquids carefully; work in batches if needed and always strain for silkiness.

Short pasta (rigatoni/paccheri) catches the creamy sauce in every bite.

Variations

Lemon Finish: Grate lemon zest over the plated pasta for brightness.
Tomato Depth: Add 1 tbsp tomato paste to the shell pot for extra body.
Herb Switch: Replace parsley with basil for a softer herbal note.

Did You Know?

Historical Fact: Italian coastal cooks have long used crustacean shells to build “crema” without dairy — a thrifty, flavour-packed technique that predates modern cream-based sauces.

Fun Fact: Most of a prawn’s savoury punch lives in the head. Pressing the heads releases umami-rich juices that make restaurant-level pasta at home.

Share Your Dish!

Did you make this creamy prawn pasta without cream? Share your plate on Instagram or TikTok and tag @cooking.with.tucci — I’d love to see it!

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Storage & Thank You

Best enjoyed immediately so the prawn meat stays tender and the sauce glossy. If needed, refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 1 day and reheat gently with a splash of water.

Can it be frozen? Not recommended — freezing can toughen prawns and dull the sauce. Enjoy fresh.

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