Name: Spanish Garlic Prawns in Tomato Sauce
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil (fairtrade); 250 g spring onions (orgaic, diced); 2 cloves garlic (organic, peeled & crushed); 800 g fresh tomatoes (organic, diced); 350 g prawns (large, peeled and cooked); 2 tbsp plain flour (organic (optional)); 1 dash salt; 1 dash black pepper (organic, fairtrade, frshly ground); 2 tbsp tomato puree (organic); 1 tsp Tabasco sauce; 2 tbsp fresh coriander (organic, chopped); 3 tbsp fresh parsley (organic, chopped); 4 tbsp creme fraiche (organic, to serve, (optional))

Spanish Garlic Prawns in Tomato Sauce is an easy healthy, low-calorie dish. Ready in just 20 minutes it's perfect for mid-week. The sauce uses fresh tomatoes with spring onions, garlic, herbs, and a dash of Tabasco hot chilli pepper sauce to spice things up.

two bowls of garlic shrimp in tomato sauce topped with creme fraiche

Prawns or Shrimp are very easy to cook with. You can use any sized prawns or shrimp. I prefer the larger jumbo or king prawns as they're juicier.

If you're looking for more quick easy prawn recipes, you might also like Thai Red Prawn Curry, Prawn Noodle Stir Fry, or Prawn and Pea Risotto. For something more warming, try Smoked Haddock and Prawn Chowder

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Ingredients
Instructions
Variations
Can you reheat prawns?
Serving Suggestions
Sustainability
Storage
📖 Recipe

Ingredients

Fresh tasty ingredients make this garlic shrimp recipe a healthy colourful dish.

Prawns - I use large peeled and cooked prawns or shrimp. The larger ones have a lovely texture and don't get lost in the sauce as smaller prawn or shrimp do. Using cooked prawns means they need to be warmed through for just 6 - 7 minutes. You can use raw prawns, but these will need to be cooked for longer. Don't be tempted to overcook the prawns as they can go a bit rubbery in texture. Prawns or shrimp are a great low-fat source of protein and help make this a healthy choice.
Tomatoes - I love the opportunity to cook with fresh tomatoes rather than tinned ones. When tomatoes are in season the flavour is especially good. You can of course use tinned or canned tomatoes if you need to.
Herbs -Using fresh herbs will also really enhance the flavour. If you are using dried herbs, then use one teaspoon of dried herbs for every tablespoon of fresh herbs.
Tabasco Sauce - Tabasco sauce is a hot sauce made from chilli peppers. It can get stronger the longer you've had the bottle. I suggest adding just a teaspoon to start with. You can always add more if you'd like it spicier.

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Pour the olive oil into the pan over a medium heat and fry the spring onions for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and fry for a further 30 seconds.

spring onions and garlic frying in a pan

Add the fresh tomatoes to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes.

fresh diced tomatoes added to onions in pan

Stir the prawns into the sauce. You can toss the prawns first in a tablespoon of plain flour if you want a thicker sauce, but this is optional. Leave the flour out or use cornflour if you want to make this recipe gluten free

prawns added to tomatoes and onions in pan

Season with salt and pepper and stir in the tomato puree and Tabasco sauce. Taste to see if the sauce is spicy enough. Add the coriander and most of the parsley and stir.

parsley, caroander, tomato puree, tabasco sauce and seasoning added to prawns and tomatoes

Simmer the sauce for 6 - 7 minutes. Serve with pasta, rice or crusty bread and a tablespoon of creme fraiche over the top. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley.

prawns in spicy tomato sauce topped with creme fraiche in bowl

Hint: Ideally, prawns should be defrosted in the fridge overnight. However, if you need to defrost prawns quickly, place them in a bowl and cover them with cold water. The cold water allows them to defrost without entering the warm danger zone when bacteria can form. This will take 15 - 20 minutes.

Variations

Spicy - if you don't have Tabasco sauce, you can add a few chilli flakes. Add these with the spring onions and garlic and fry for a few minutes.
Vegetables - if you want to add in some more vegetables, fresh spinach goes well. Stir it in at the end of the cooking time.
Kid friendly - if you're worried about the spice, you can leave out the Tabasco sauce. The fresh herbs will still give it a nice flavour.

Can you reheat prawns?

Prawns can be re-heated provided they have been stored properly. Once cooked, they should be stored in a refrigerator within two hours. Ideally, you should not leave seafood at room temperature for any longer than necessary. When re-heating prawns, you need to make sure they are piping hot. You can reheat them in a microwave or on a hob or stovetop or in the oven.

Serving Suggestions

The spiciness of the tomato sauce means it needs a side that has a blander taste. Spanish garlic prawns go well with pasta but you can also serve with rice. Alternatively, fresh crusty bread is lovely to mop up all the sauce. I also like to top this with a nice spoonful of creme fraiche.

Sustainability

When shopping for fish, look for the Marine Stewardship Council logo. This label is a reasonable indication the fish has been sourced responsibly. The Marine Stewardship Council constantly monitors fish stocks to help preserve for future generations. The Good Fish Guide will give you the latest information on fish stocks. Some varieties of prawns are more sustainable than others and the Marine Stewardship Council has some further information. There are also several online sustainable retailers of prawns that are ethically sourced.

Storage

Prawns like other seafood should not be left out at room temperature. You can store this Prawns in Tomato Sauce dish in the fridge for 1 - 2 days. It is lovely cold the next day for lunch or you can reheat it. When reheating, make sure it is piping hot before serving. Cooked prawns should not be refrozen.

Spanish Garlic Prawns in Tomato Sauce