BAKED PARMESAN PRAWNS

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted
  • 1 tbsp parsley 
  • 250 gms prawns
  • 500 gms penne pasta
  • 2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 cup parmesan cheese plus more for topping
  • 1 pinch salt to taste
  • 1 pinch black pepper to taste
  • 2 tbsp breadcrumbs
  • 1 tin cherry tomatoes

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 220 C.
  2. While oven preheats, prepare pasta to package instructions, reducing cook time by 1 minute. Drain pasta, cover, and set aside.
  3. Pour melted butter in the bottom of a deep 8x8 baking dish. Add raw prawns and parsley, then toss to coat. Prawns should line the bottom of the dish in an even layer.
  4. Cook prawns in the oven for 15 minutes.
  5. While prawns cook, pour cream into a medium saucepan. Over medium heat, bring cream to a boil. Cook cream for 5 minutes, whisking constantly to avoid boiling over. After 5 minutes, add parmesan cheese and salt + pepper to taste. Bring mixture to boil again, continuing to whisk, and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove from heat.
  6. Add cooked pasta to cream sauce and then toss to coat. If prawns are still cooking, cover and set aside pasta until prawns are done.
  7. Once prawns are done, reduce oven temp to 180 C (Tip: prop oven door open for a few minutes to help it cool faster). Temporarily transfer prawns and butter sauce to a small bowl. Pour pasta into the deep 8x8 baking dish, then add the buttery prawns back in on top of the pasta. Finish off by sprinkling chopped cherry tomatoes, 1-2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese, and breadcrumbs on top.
  8. Bake pasta for 10-12 minutes or until cheese looks slightly melted and tomatoes are tender. 
  9. Let parmesan baked prawns cool for 5 minutes before serving.