Tagliatelle with prawns and nduja

 Tagliatelle with prawns and ’nduja is the kind of dish that feels indulgent but comes together in minutes. Fresh pasta, sweet prawns, gentle heat from Calabrian ’nduja, and a creamy finish with stracciatella make this a perfect balance between comfort and elegance.

Recipe: Tagliatelle with prawns and ’nduja

Ingredients (2 servings)

– Fresh tagliatelle

– Raw prawns, peeled and deveined

– ’Nduja, I used half a sausage but adjust to desired level of heat

– A small splash of cream

– Stracciatella

– Fresh basil

– Olive oil

– Salt, black pepper

Method

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to the boil and cook the fresh tagliatelle until just al dente. Reserve a small ladle of pasta water, then drain.

In a wide pan over medium heat, add a little olive oil and gently melt the ’nduja. It will loosen quickly and turn into a spicy, aromatic paste. Add the prawns and sauté briefly until just cooked, keeping them tender and juicy.

Pour in a small splash of cream and let it simmer for a minute to bind with the ’nduja and prawn juices. Add the drained tagliatelle directly to the pan, tossing to coat everything evenly. If needed, loosen the sauce with a little reserved pasta water.

Plate the pasta, then finish with generous spoonfuls of stracciatella and fresh basil leaves. A touch of black pepper is all it needs.

What is ’nduja?

’Nduja is a soft, spreadable pork sausage from Calabria in southern Italy. It is intensely flavored, smoky, and spicy thanks to a high proportion of Calabrian chili peppers. Unlike firm cured sausages, ’nduja melts when heated, making it ideal for sauces and pasta.

No ’nduja?

If you can’t find ’nduja, chorizo is a good alternative. Use a finely chopped, soft chorizo and gently fry it in olive oil until it releases its paprika-rich oils. The flavor will be different but still delicious, with warmth and depth.

You enjoyed this? Here are some of our other pasta inspirations:

Linguine with gorgonzola cream and sweet marsala onions.

Rigatoni with Italian sausage, radicchio and taleggio cream

Grilled pasta with scamorza and chorizo

Linguine with tuna tartare and capers