Easy & Elegant Pasta: Spilled Milk #251

This impressive spot prawn (or shrimp!) pasta comes together in an hour.

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Spot prawns. These little buggers are the pride and joy of anyone who has ever had the pleasure of eating them when they are SUPER fresh. They have the best “shrimp” flavor of all the edible species in the shrimp/prawn world. And that’s a big group of little delights.

All size jokes aside, shrimp/prawns are the most popular seafood item in America. And they are different. Prepare for a short dissertation on the differences.

Shrimp and prawns are often confused, but they are distinct marine crustaceans with key biological differences. Both belong to the class Malacostraca, but shrimp are classified under the suborder Pleocyemata, while prawns fall under Dendrobranchiata. Too much Latin? Yeah, well the primary difference lies in their gills: Shrimp possess plate-like gills, while prawns have branching gills. Additionally, shrimp have a curved body that is more familiar in the culinary world, whereas prawns typically boast a straight body. 

There are over 300 species of prawns worldwide, with around 20 commonly considered edible species. In contrast, shrimp are even more diverse, with over 2,000 species identified, approximately 300 of which are edible.

One of the most popular edible shrimp species is the Pacific white shrimp, a staple in aquaculture due to its fast growth and tasty, tender meat. Another species is the Northern shrimp, prized for its sweet flavor and commonly found in colder waters, particularly in the North Atlantic.

Popular prawn species include the king prawn, often found in tropical waters and renowned for its large size and firm texture, making it a preferred choice in many cuisines. The tiger prawn is another well-known prawn species, famous for its stripes and frequently used in Asian cuisines.

In the real world, shrimp generally prefer brackish or freshwater lakes, rivers and estuaries, while prawns are more common in saltwater environments. The social behavior also varies. Shrimp are usually more solitary, whereas certain prawn species exhibit more social tendencies. I have fished for both, and this is 100 percent the case.

So why am I cooking with spot prawns?  Because they are delicious, have insane amounts of head fat and the heads/shells make a great pasta sauce. My friends at E-Fish had them available as well as the sea urchin I used. I get a lot of products from them, they are a world class operation. Check them out at www.e-fish.com and tell them I sent you.

Spot prawns—and this gets confusing—are a popular species of shrimp (remember the tell-tale sign of the curved back?) found primarily along the Pacific coast of North America, from Alaska to central California. They are highly prized for their sweet, delicate flavor and firm texture. Why aren’t they called spot shrimp? Beats me!

Spot prawns typically exhibit a distinctive coloration: They are usually reddish-brown with white spots that are most prominent during their juvenile stages. This appearance leads to their common name. The main difference between red spot prawns and green spot prawns isn't necessarily the species but rather the stage of their life cycle or their habitat. Red spot prawns often refer to mature individuals, while green spot prawns are typically younger or smaller ones. Additionally, the term "green" can sometimes describe the color variations that appear in specific environmental contexts, such as water conditions or diet. It's important to note that there isn’t a specific variant such as "green spot prawns" in common terminology; they are primarily known as just spot prawns.

OK, so now what? Get this recipe out, buy some spot prawns or get some shrimp with their heads on and enjoy one of the best pasta recipes I know of. Bonus tip: You can make the sauce/thick broth without adding the pasta and use it for a cioppino a bouillabaisse or just as a sauce for seafood filets, kebabs or any other meal where a great shellfish sauce is needed!

Recipe: Easy & Elegant Pasta