This 15 minute creamy garlic prawn pasta is a super easy but delicious dairy free dinner that is sure to impress on a busy weeknight. This indulgent pasta dish has a light and creamy, garlic infused sauce with tender, sweet prawns. It’s perfect for when you’re craving a comforting, creaming pasta, or for an easy date night dinner with a glass of sparkling.
Featured Comment
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ STUNNING! As a strongly lactose intolerant person, although I love creamy sauces, the discomfort, which I experience even if I use so- called “Lactose Free” dairy cream, just isn’t worth the consequences! I made this for myself and a friend last week, who loves creamy garlic prawns, and she said it was a total winner! Thank you, Sally! – Angela
I know what you’re thinking. A creamy garlic prawn pasta that is completely dairy free? Yes this does exist and I am so happy about it, and hope you’re just as excited!
This recipe first came about when I was looking for inspiration in my fridge to make a delicious dinner for date night with my husband that wouldn’t require me to go to the grocery store. When I saw the carton of plant-based cream in the fridge that I’d picked up for a dessert recipe, I knew it was time to try it in a savoury recipe.
The ease of the plant-based cream makes this classic recipe not only super easy but unbelievably dairy free. It’s so silky and creamy with punchy garlic flavour and perfectly cooked prawns. It’s my new favourite easy weeknight dinner when I want to feel a little bit more put together without actually going to much effort.
Plus it’s so much lighter than a regular dairy based cream sauce so it’s perfect if you’re looking for something a little healthier that still feels lush and comforting.
Key Ingredients
This simple prawn pasta recipe uses just 6 ingredients plus salt and pepper to create an indulgent dinner in just 15 minutes that feels special enough for date night or even Valentine’s Day!
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Pasta – I recommend using linguine, fettuccine or any other long pasta for the classic dish, but honestly I’ve made this with fusilli as well as it’s still delicious so use what you have / like!
- Dairy free butter – just a little bit adds extra richness and flavour to the sauce but you can also substitute with olive oil.
- Prawns – I’ve mentioned this before, but I buy the big bags of frozen prawns when they are on sale as they are a great protein addition to so many meals. Just defrost them in a bowl of water before using them in this recipe.
- Garlic – this is a 100% measure with your heart situation. How much you use is going to depend on the size of your garlic cloves and how much you love garlic, but remember you want to taste it so don’t be shy.
- Dairy free cream – this is the key ingredient to making this creamy pasta so easy. I am obsessed with the Flora Thickened Plant Cream which you can get at both Coles and Woolworths, but you can try this recipe with any brand of plant based cream you like, I just recommend staying clear of coconut cream for this one.
- Fresh parsley – essential for that added freshness and flavour to this simply creamy sauce.
- Salt and pepper – with so few ingredients, make sure you taste and season well!
Step-By-Step Instructions
The most time consuming part of this recipe is going to be cooking the pasta, so get started on that first. Put the pot of salted water on to boil, and if you’re using frozen prawns, put them in a small bowl of water to defrost.
Once your pasta is cooking you can start making the sauce. Honestly this comes together so fast, I usually wait until the pasta is half-way through the cooking time to begin this step.
Start by heating the dairy free butter in a large frying pan over medium heat until it’s melted. Add the crushed garlic to the butter and sauté until fragrant. Be really intentional at this step as you want to make sure the heat isn’t too high as this will burn the garlic and create a bitter taste.
Once the garlic is fragrant, you can add your thawed prawns in a single layer in the butter. They only take a couple of minutes on each side and you can see when they are cooked as they change colour.
From here, add in the cream and turn the heat down. Mix through to combine with the butter and season with salt and pepper. Mix through the chopped parsley and then once your pasta is done, drain, reserving about ¼ cup of the pasta water.
Add the pasta to the cream sauce and toss through to combine. Once the sauce has thickened and coated the pasta you’re ready to serve. If the pasta seems a little dry, use that pasta water you reserved to loosen it up so it’s silky smooth.
Serve immediately topped with more cracked black pepper and fresh parsley.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, that’s what I usually do! I buy the peeled and deveined prawns from the supermarket. Just defrost them in a bowl of water while you cook the pasta, then pat them dry before cooking.
If you’re not a fan of prawns, you can substitute them with chicken, scallops, or mushrooms for a vegetarian option. Just adjust the cooking time as necessary.
To make it a full meal, you can serve it with a side of dairy free garlic bread, herb and olive focaccia, or a fresh green salad. Pop open a bottle of sparkling and you have the perfect meal!
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More Date Night Dinners:
Gnocchi Bolognese
Marry Me Chicken Pasta
Creamy Salmon Tagliatelle (Dairy Free)
Slow Cooked Beef Ragu
15 Minute Creamy Garlic Prawn Pasta
Ingredients
- 200 grams linguine fettuccine or other long pasta
- 2 tablespoons dairy free butter
- 4-5 cloves garlic
- 200 grams prawns peeled and deveined
- ⅔ cup dairy free cream
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the packet instructions.
- When the pasta is halfway through cooking, melt the dairy-free butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the crushed garlic and sauté until fragrant, being careful not to burn it.
- Add the prawns in a single layer and cook for about 2 minutes per side until they turn pink.
- Reduce the heat, pour in the dairy free cream, and stir to combine. Season with salt, pepper, and chopped parsley.
- Drain the pasta, reserving ¼ cup of pasta water. Toss the pasta through the sauce, adding reserved pasta water if needed to ensure the pasta is fully coated and the sauce is silky smooth.
- Top with extra black pepper and fresh parsley and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
Angela says
STUNNING! As a strongly lactose intolerant person, although I love creamy sauces, the discomfort, which I experience even if I use so- called “Lactose Free” dairy cream, just isn’t worth the consequences! I made this for myself and a friend last week, who loves creamy garlic prawns, and she said it was a total winner! High praise, indeed! Thank you, Sally!
Sally says
Amazing! Thanks so much for your comment and so pleased to hear you were able to enjoy a creamy pasta again!
Angela B says
Hello Sally,
Thank you for posting this recipe; a dear elderly friend of mine who is now in a nursing home loves creamy garlic prawns and I know she would love a bowl of creamy garlic prawns as a Valentine’s treat!
A dairy free version is perfect for me – although I love creamy sauces, I am strongly lactose intolerant, even if I do take lactase tablets to reduce most of the symptoms. I have been wondering what I can use to make a creamy garlic sauce for pasta (that isn’t coconut based or made from a white flour masking sauce), but didn’t know if plant based cream would work and not be too runny. I am definitely going to make this for Valentine’s 2025 for my Gal Pal!
Oh, a quick question: I am interested in what dairy free ‘butter’ you use?
I only know of Nuttelex spread (admittedly, I haven’t found a variety I like in that brand – but willing to try variety recommendations) and Tablelands Dairy Free spread, the latter of which I think is only sold at Woolworths and maybe IGA.
🌹🥂 – Angela, Singleton NSW
Sally says
Hi Angela, oh that sounds so lovey! What a great friend you are. Yes plant-based cream doesn’t always work the same as regular, but the Flora brand one is the best I’ve found and works really well in this recipe. For the butter, I always use the Nuttelex Buttery flavour one as that’s what I prefer the taste and texture of – I haven’t found anything I like better than that one!