About This Recipe

There is a particular kind of weeknight dinner that earns its place by delivering maximum flavour for minimum effort and time, and this garlic butter prawn and courgette noodle dish sits firmly at the top of that category. From the moment the prawns hit the pan to the moment the bowl reaches the table is approximately 20 minutes, and the result tastes considerably more complex and satisfying than that timeline would suggest.

The technique with prawns is speed and confidence. They go into a very hot pan in a single layer, are left completely alone for 90 seconds, then flipped and cooked for another 60 seconds on the other side. That is it. Overcooked prawns — curled into tight, rubbery loops with no give when bitten — are the result of too much time in the pan rather than too little. The moment the prawn turns fully pink and curls into a loose C shape, it is done. The residual heat in the pan and the sauce will keep it warm without cooking it further.

Courgette noodles — spiralised courgette that looks and works like pasta — provide the bulk of the dish without the calories or glycaemic load of actual pasta. They are cooked briefly in the same pan used for the prawns, picking up all the garlic butter and prawn juices left behind, and are dressed with a little more lemon and a handful of cherry tomatoes that burst in the heat and provide the sweet-acid punctuation the dish needs. Everything comes together in one pan, the courgette takes the flavour of the sauce, and the whole thing is on the table before anyone has had time to get impatient.

History & Origins

Prawns cooked in garlic butter is one of the most universal techniques in seafood cooking, found in variations across the Mediterranean, the Americas, and Southeast Asia. The American version, shrimp scampi, became a restaurant staple in the United States in the mid-20th century. Courgette noodles as a pasta substitute emerged in the early 2010s as part of the broader low-carbohydrate eating movement, popularised by the paleo and ketogenic communities, and have since become mainstream enough to be sold pre-spiralised in most supermarkets.

Why It’s Healthy

Prawns provide an exceptional protein-to-calorie ratio — 100g of prawns contains approximately 20g of complete protein at fewer than 100 calories. They are also one of the richest dietary sources of iodine, essential for thyroid function, and provide significant selenium, zinc, and vitamin B12. Courgette provides vitamin C, potassium, and folate at very low caloric cost. The garlic provides allicin with antimicrobial and cardiovascular benefits. Cherry tomatoes provide lycopene. The dish is naturally gluten-free, low in carbohydrates, and provides excellent lean protein.

One Pan Garlic Butter Prawns With Courgette Noodles

Recipe by By butter u0026 berriesCourse: Asian, Healthy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

Calories

580

kcal

Ingredients

• •t400g large raw prawns, peeled and deveined

• •t3 medium courgettes, spiralised (or use a vegetable peeler to make ribbons)

• •t200g cherry tomatoes, halved

• •t4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

• •t3 tbsp butter

• •t1 tbsp olive oil

• •tJuice and zest of 1 lemon

• •t0.5 tsp chilli flakes

• •tSalt and black pepper

• •tFresh parsley, roughly chopped

Directions

• Pat prawns dry with paper towel. Season with salt and pepper.
• Heat olive oil in a large pan over high heat until just smoking.
• Add prawns in a single layer. Cook for 90 seconds without touching, then flip.
• Cook 60 seconds on the second side until just pink and curled. Remove and set aside.
• Reduce heat to medium. Add butter to the same pan.
• Add garlic and chilli flakes. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant — do not let it burn.
• Add cherry tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes until starting to burst.
• Add courgette noodles and toss for 1 to 2 minutes until just warmed through but still with a slight bite.
• Return prawns to the pan. Add lemon juice and zest. Toss everything together.
• Serve immediately topped with fresh parsley.

Notes

• Dry prawns cook rather than steam — pat them thoroughly with paper towel before they go in the pan.
  A very hot pan is essential — medium heat produces grey, steamed prawns. High heat produces golden, charred, flavourful ones.
  Courgette noodles release water as they cook — do not cook them for more than 2 minutes or the dish becomes watery.
  Serve immediately — courgette noodles continue releasing water as they sit and the dish loses its texture quickly.

Make Ahead Tips

This dish is so fast that advance preparation is minimal. Spiralise the courgettes and halve the tomatoes up to 4 hours ahead. Mince the garlic. The prawns should always be cooked fresh — they take 3 minutes and are at their best immediately. This is a cook-and-eat dish, not a make-ahead one.

Storage & Serving

This dish is best eaten immediately and does not store or reheat well. Courgette noodles become watery overnight and the prawns become rubbery on reheating. If you have leftovers, eat them cold the next day as a room-temperature salad — surprisingly good with a drizzle of extra lemon and olive oil. For meal prepping, make the garlic butter sauce base in advance and cook the prawns and courgette fresh each time. Serve straight from the pan in warmed bowls. A glass of cold dry white wine alongside is the ideal accompaniment — the dish is simple and elegant enough to serve at a dinner party with confidence.

Variations & Substitutions

Replace courgette noodles with regular spaghetti or linguine for a more substantial, traditional garlic butter prawn pasta. Add a splash of dry white wine to the pan after the garlic and cook off before adding the tomatoes for a more complex, restaurant-style sauce. Replace cherry tomatoes with a handful of baby spinach wilted into the pan for a different vegetable combination. Substitute the butter with ghee and add a pinch of turmeric and garam masala for an Indian-inspired version.

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