Have you ever considered using Harissa on pasta? With its North African origin, Harissa is more typically used in soups and stews, and sometimes roasted vegetables. I quickly realised that its robust flavours could suit well with seafood, and it’s a flavour combo that works well with pasta. This harissa prawn pasta recipe offers a unique kick of flavours to the palate and a little punch of spice. The flavours may differ from different brands, so do have a little play around until you find one that hits the spot for you. The recipe is definitely one for the books, as it’s so easy and quick to put everything together. You can easily whip this up in under 20 minutes, once again proving there’s no need to be sacrificing flavours even when short of time!
What is Harissa
Harissa is a chilli pepper paste with North African origins, typically appearing in Tunisian and Libyan cuisines. Imagine roasted peppers, but with plenty of spices added and a more robust flavour – that’s the best I can describe it. A common variation is Rose Harissa, which I consider a milder version of Harissa paste. The addition of rose petals and rose water in Rose Harissa counterbalances the heat from the chillies and smokiness of the peppers.
Different brands of Harissa paste offer different spice levels and tastes. Do play around until you find one that fits your personal flavour preferences the most. I personally enjoy the Belazu Smoked Chilli Harissa, which gives an extra smoky touch of flavour to the dish and goes super well with the pasta. Alternatively, the rose harissa could offer a more floral touch to it.
*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. This helps me, as a content creator, to continue delivering free content for you!
How to make Harissa Prawn Pasta
Ingredients You Need
- Prawns – I used frozen king prawns. Defrost before cooking
- Pasta – I recommend using Linguine
- Harissa Paste
- Garlic
- Red Bird’s Eye Chillies
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Dried Oregano
- Salt & Black Pepper – to taste
- Olive Oil
- Fresh Coriander Leaves
Recipe Notes
- Reserving pasta water is an essential step for all pasta recipes. It helps to create a smooth & silky sauce, and binds it to the pasta.
- Different brands of harissa have different spice levels and flavour profiles.
- Adjust the amount of chillies for this recipe according to your personal taste.
Looking for more pasta recipes? Check these out too:
Harissa Prawn Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 220 g Pasta (Linguine/Spaghetti)
- 150 g Prawns
- 3 cloves Garlic finely chopped
- 2-3 Red Bird's Eye Chillies finely chopped
- 200 g Cherry Tomatoes halved
- 2 heaped tbsp Harissa Paste
- 10 g Fresh Coriander Leaves chopped
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- ½ tsp Oregano
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Black Pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil, season generously with salt. Cook pasta according to package instructions.
- In the meantime, heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat, saute garlic and red chillies for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add in the cherry tomatoes, cook until they begin to blister, roughly 5 minutes. Season with salt, black pepper, and oregano.
- Stir in Harissa paste, saute for a minute. Then add in prawns. Cook for about 5 minutes (depending on size) until cooked through.
- Add 1-2 tbsp of pasta water to loosen up the sauce and add in cooked pasta. Toss to combine.
- Mix in fresh coriander leaves and serve immediately.
Notes
- Different brands of would offer different blends of flavour, so do play around until you find your best pick of harissa paste. I use Belazu Smoked Chilli Harissa.
- If using frozen prawns, defrost before use.
- Adjust the amount of chillies accordingly to the spice level of your harissa paste and your taste preferences.
Save & pin this recipe!
This is a beautiful recipe- so simple and quick to prepare, yet full of flavour! Thanks!
Great recipe! This makes a generous amount for 2 and I am able to keep half of it for dinner again tomorrow. It is definitely spicy and may take a bit of trial and error with the chillies and harissa paste to find your suited spice tolerance. I love spicy food so this fit the bill just well. I will probably decrease the harissa paste a little bit for my liking. I also loved how quick and easy this was to make and has the healthy additions of prawns and tomatoes!
Hi Debbie, I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe! I agree it definitely takes a little bit of trial and error as everyone’s spice preferences are different and different brands taste differently too. Thanks for leaving a comment and enjoy the leftovers 🙂 x
Awesome idea! Can’t wait to try it out.
Thank you! Let me know how it goes, can’t wait to see it!