Recipes › Seafood › Garlic Prawns Italian Recipe

Garlic Prawns Italian Recipe

Recipe by Pedro M. A. Neves

This classic Italian seafood dish celebrates the simplicity and elegance of southern Italian coastal cooking. Succulent prawns are quickly sautéed with abundant garlic, fresh parsley, and a splash of white wine, then finished with lemon juice and olive oil to create a light yet deeply flavorful preparation. Garlic prawns Italian recipe is best served with crusty bread to soak up the aromatic pan sauce.

Ingredients

• 800g large prawns, peeled and deveined (1.75 lbs)
• 90ml extra virgin olive oil (6 tbsp)
• 8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 60ml dry white wine (¼ cup)
• 30ml fresh lemon juice (2 tbsp)
• 15g fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped (½ oz)
• 5ml red pepper flakes (1 tsp)
• 2g sea salt (to taste)
• 1g black pepper (to taste)
• 4 lemon wedges for serving

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until shimmer appears across the surface.

2. Add sliced garlic and red pepper flakes to the hot oil, stirring constantly for 45-60 seconds until fragrant but not browned.

3. Increase heat to medium-high and add prawns to the skillet in a single layer, spreading them evenly around the pan.

4. Cook prawns for 1-2 minutes on the first side without stirring, allowing them to develop a light golden surface.

5. Flip each prawn and cook for another 1-2 minutes until the shells turn opaque pink and flesh is barely cooked through.

6. Pour white wine into the pan, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon, and simmer for 1 minute.

7. Remove from heat and add fresh lemon juice, stirring gently to combine all ingredients.

8. Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste, then transfer to serving plates and garnish generously with fresh parsley.

Substitutions

• Use langoustines or large scallops instead of prawns for a different sweet protein
• Replace white wine with vegetable or seafood stock for a non-alcoholic version
• Substitute butter (30g) for half the olive oil for a richer, creamier sauce
• Use dried oregano (1 tsp) or thyme in place of fresh parsley if fresh is unavailable

Tips

• Do not overcook prawns; they continue cooking briefly after removal from heat. Cook only until the flesh turns opaque and firm, typically 2-4 minutes total.
• For best flavor, use freshly sliced garlic rather than pre-minced, as it provides superior texture and prevents burning in the hot oil.
• Keep the lemon and parsley for finishing steps separate from cooking; add them only at the end to preserve their fresh, bright qualities.

This dish exemplifies the Italian coastal tradition of 'alla marinara,' celebrating fresh seafood with minimal intervention. In regions like Sicily, Campania, and Liguria, garlic prawns prepared this way appear on restaurant menus as a celebration of Mediterranean simplicity and the quality of local catch.

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