Juicy prawns, crisp Spanish chorizo and broad ribbons of Rustichella pappardelle tossed through a rich tomato and basil sauce, finished with lemon, fresh basil, semi-dried tomato and a touch of Smokey Chipotle Honey.
The honey isn’t there to make the sauce sweet. It helps balance the tomato and lemon, complements the smoky chorizo and adds a gentle warmth to the finished dish.
Serves: 2
Course: Main
Cuisine: Italian-inspired
Skill Level: Intermediate
Cooking Style: Stovetop
Best For: Dinner for Two | Entertaining | Something Special
Style: Pasta | Seafood
From the Chef’s Pantry at Underground Chef: Rustichella d’Abruzzo Pappardelle, Rustichella Pomodoro e Basilico, Drunken Sailor Smokey Chipotle Honey, Olsson’s Sea Salt, Spice Lab Italian Classic and Spice Lab Mélange of Peppercorns.
Bring a large pot of water to the boil and season with Olsson’s Sea Salt.
Add the pappardelle and cook until al dente, following the packet timing as a guide.
Before draining, reserve some of the pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta and keep warm.
Chef’s Tip: Keep some pasta water aside. The starch in the water helps loosen the sauce later without making it watery.
Heat a heavy-based frying pan over medium heat.
Add the olive oil, finely chopped onion, garlic and Italian Classic.
Sauté gently until the onion is softened and translucent, taking care not to burn the garlic.
Add the sliced Spanish chorizo and cook until it begins to crisp around the edges and release its oils and flavour into the pan.
Add the prawns and cook just until they change colour and are almost cooked through.
Remove the prawns from the pan and set aside.
This allows us to finish the sauce without overcooking the prawns.
Add the Rustichella Pomodoro e Basilico, lemon juice, Smokey Chipotle Honey and chopped fresh basil.
Stir well, scraping all the flavour from the bottom of the pan into the sauce.
Allow the sauce to warm through gently.
If it becomes too thick, add a little reserved pasta water until you reach the desired consistency.
Add the warm pappardelle and gently toss through the sauce until the pasta is well coated.
Return the prawns to the pan and add the 30 g sliced semi-dried tomatoes.
Fold everything through gently, just long enough to warm the prawns and semi-dried tomatoes.
Taste and season with Olsson’s Sea Salt and Mélange of Peppercorns as required.
Divide between two warm pasta bowls.
Finish with shaved Parmesan, a lemon wedge and a fresh sprig of basil.
Keep your pasta water.
The starch helps loosen the sauce while still allowing it to cling beautifully to the pappardelle.
Don’t overcook your prawns.
Cook them only until they change colour, then remove them and return them right at the end.
Add the semi-dried tomatoes last.
We want them to stay intact and provide a burst of concentrated tomato flavour and texture rather than breaking down into the sauce.
Let the chorizo crisp.
The rendered oils become part of the flavour base for the whole dish.
The honey is a seasoning, not a sweetener.
It balances the tomato and lemon while reinforcing the smoky notes of the chorizo.
Serve in warm pasta bowls.
Use tongs to gently lift and twist the pappardelle into the centre of the bowl, making sure the prawns and semi-dried tomatoes remain visible.
Finish with shaved Parmesan, fresh basil and a lemon wedge.
A squeeze of fresh lemon at the table helps cut through the richness of the chorizo.
Add some heat: Add sliced fresh chilli with the onion and garlic, or finish with fresh chilli before serving.
Change the pasta: Pappardelle works beautifully with this chunky sauce, but tagliatelle, fettuccine or linguine can also be used.
More seafood: Add scallops, calamari or extra prawns.
No prawns: Increase the chorizo or substitute chicken.
The pasta should be fully cooked but still retain a slight firmness when bitten.
The starch in the cooking water helps bring the pasta and sauce together and can correct a sauce that has become too thick.
Removing the prawns before finishing the sauce gives you control and prevents them becoming tough.
Adding the semi-dried tomatoes at the end keeps their shape and texture intact, giving the finished dish another layer rather than allowing them to disappear into the sauce.
The sequence matters:
onion and garlic → chorizo → prawns → sauce → pasta → prawns and semi-dried tomato
Each stage contributes flavour to the next.
Why remove the prawns from the pan?
Prawns cook very quickly. Removing them allows the sauce to finish without overcooking them.
Why are the semi-dried tomatoes added at the end?
To keep their flavour, shape and slightly chewy texture. If they simmer too long, they can soften and break down into the sauce.
Why save the pasta water?
The starch helps loosen the sauce while still allowing it to coat the pasta.
Will the Smokey Chipotle Honey make the pasta sweet?
No. In this dish it works as a balancing ingredient against the tomato, lemon and chorizo.
Can the sauce be made ahead?
Yes. The tomato and chorizo component can be prepared ahead. Cook the pasta and prawns fresh, and add the semi-dried tomatoes at the end.
This dish is all about building flavour while keeping control of texture.
We let the chorizo crisp and flavour the pan, cook the prawns only as much as they need, then finish with the semi-dried tomatoes right at the end so they stay intact and give us another little burst of flavour.
And don’t forget that pasta water — sometimes the easiest way to bring a sauce back together is sitting in the pot beside you.
Chef Ian