Garlic Prawn And Tomatillo Pasta Recipe

Pasta dishes featuring garlic and prawns are pretty common, often tossed in a simple white wine sauce. Foodie recipe developer Julianne De Witt ups the ante with this zingy variation starring tomatillos. Her garlic prawn and tomatillo pasta combines sweet, earthy, and tangy flavors in one hearty dish that is perfect for using up the influx of tomatillos in late summer and fall. "This prawn and tomatillo pasta is a healthy and satisfying dish that can be on the table in just over 30 minutes," De Witt shares, which makes it an excellent contender for weeknight meals. 

If you've ever bitten into a raw tomatillo, chances are it made your mouth pucker. "Roasting them in the oven before blending them into the sauce helps to bring out the sweetness," De Witt explains. She also incorporates heavy cream, noting that it "adds some depth to the sauce while balancing out the tartness of the tomatillos." There's plenty going on in this vibrant dish, so follow De Witt's advice and keep the sides simple. "Serve this pasta with some crusty bread and if desired, a crisp green salad," she suggests. Refrigerated leftovers stay fresh for a few days; just be sure to reheat the pasta over low heat to avoid eating rubbery prawns.

For this recipe, you'll need to get tomatillos, discarding the husks and rinsing them first to remove any stickiness. Then, get a small onion (chopped into large pieces), garlic cloves, olive oil, sea salt, and fresh ground black pepper. De Witt uses spaghetti here but notes that any pasta shape works. Finally, get cilantro, heavy whipping cream, prawns (thawed if frozen), crumbled cotija cheese, and lime wedges.

Preheat the oven to 425 F.

Place tomatillos, onions, and garlic on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Place the baking sheet in the oven and roast for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are soft and lightly browned.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of generously salted water to a boil.

Add the spaghetti to the salted water and cook until al dente, according to package instructions.

Drain the pasta, reserving some of the pasta water.

Once the veggies are done roasting, remove them from the oven and cool slightly.

Place the cilantro in a food processor and top with the roasted tomatillos, onions, and garlic.

Blend until smooth.

Pour the tomatillo sauce into a saucepan. Add the cream and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over low heat.

In a saute pan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.

Add the prawns and cook briefly until mostly pink.

Pour the sauce over the prawns and stir.

Add the spaghetti, changing to a larger pan if necessary. Stir and cook for 1 minute or so, adding reserved pasta water as necessary to thin the sauce.

When the pasta reaches the desired temperature, remove it from the heat and top with the cotija.

Squeeze the lime wedges over the pasta and serve.

Some people might shun the idea of combining seafood with cheese, but don't let that stop you from trying this delicious duo. That said, cotija offers some qualities that make it especially good for the purpose. De Witt describes, "Cotija is an aged cow's milk cheese from Mexico. It's firm in texture and salty." If you're fond of Mexican cuisine, De Witt notes, "It's often used as a finishing cheese in tacos and burritos and Mexican street corn."

Unlike topping your dish with shredded cheddar or mozzarella which will likely melt from the residual heat, she explains, "Cotija will soften a bit when heated but doesn't melt." You can get a similar result using feta, which also doesn't melt all that readily, instead packing a tangy punch of flavor. "I like to use cotija as it gives a Mexican feel to the recipe," De Witt shares, which makes sense since tomatillos originate from Mexico too.

If you're reading through this recipe confused about the typos and unripe tomatoes, you probably have not yet been introduced to tomatillos. "Tomatillo means 'little tomato' in Spanish, but they are not actually tomatoes," De Witt explains, though they are also part of the nightshade family. "They are covered in a papery husk and the outside of the fruit is sticky due to the protective sap covering," she adds, which is what helps them be resistant to insects and pests. 

Be sure to rinse off the sap otherwise it can add bitterness to the dish, detracting from their otherwise pleasant flavor. "Tomatillos taste earthy and tart and sweeten up a bit when cooked," De Witt describes, which is why she prefers to roast them for this dish, though they can be eaten raw too. If you find yourself on a tomatillo kick after eating this dish, try making salsa verde, one of the traditional ways they are used.