The great thing about this recipe is that it’s so simple to make. It doesn’t require a long list of ingredients and the method couldn’t be more straightforward! Follow me…
Preparing Prawns
I like using king prawns for this recipe, just so they stand out in the dish. In terms of preparing them, here’s two important steps:
Dry – I always pat my prawns dry before I fry them. This will remove excess moisture and allow them to fry more efficiently without steaming. This in turn will allow them to develop more flavour in the pan. Season – Give them a good seasoning of salt and pepper, but don’t leave them sat around otherwise the salt will begin to ‘cook’ the prawns and turn them rubbery.
How do I know when the prawns are cooked?
They’ll turn from translucent to opaque and start curling up. Generally speaking you to avoid them curling up into a tight ‘O’ shape, as this usually means they’re overcooked. They won’t take long at all, especially since they’re being added back into the sauce at the end to warm through. I find just a minute on each side to develop flavour does the trick. Process shots: dry prawns (photo 1), coat in oil and seasoning (photo 2), add to pan (photo 3), fry then remove (photo 4).
One Pot Garlic Butter Orzo
After you’ve fried the prawns there will likely be some flavour stuck to the pan. You can use your wooden spoon to gently scrape this off when you melt in the butter. Don’t waste that bonus flavour!
Why cook the orzo in the same pot?
I like to cook the orzo in the sauce for a few different reasons:
Starch – The orzo will release its starch, which helps turn the sauce a little creamy. Flavour – The orzo will soak in all the gorgeous garlic/buttery flavours as it cooks. Ease – Less washing up!
Orzo consistency
You want the orzo to still be a touch hard and for there still to be a slight excess of sauce before finishing with the parsley, parmesan and extra butter. By the time everything has been stirred through at the end you should reach the perfect consistency of sauce and texture of orzo. The consistency is very easy to adjust by slowly stirring in more stock. Process shots: fry garlic in butter (photo 1), add orzo (photo 2), stir (photo 3), add stock (photo 4), stir/simmer (photo 5), stir in parsley, parmesan, prawns and butter (photo 6).
Can I use frozen prawns?
You sure can, you’ll just need to thaw them in the fridge beforehand.
How garlicky is this recipe?
I use 4 cloves of garlic and it’s a good level of garlicky. I wouldn’t use any less, but if you absolutely love garlic you could increase the amount up to 6 cloves.
Why do you use unsalted butter?
Using unsalted butter just gives you a little more control over the saltiness of the dish. Because there’s such a large amount of stock, and a fair amount butter too, using unsalted butter just prevents the dish turning out too salty no matter what your preference is.
Serving Garlic Butter Prawn Orzo
To serve, I like to finish with a squeeze of lemon juice. This is important to brighten up the dish and cut through the richness of the stock/butter. Plus prawns, garlic, parsley and butter all LOVE lemon! Alongside the lemon I usually finish with a pinch more parsley and parmesan too. For another delicious prawn pasta recipe check out my Creamy Prawn Linguine! Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this garlic butter prawn orzo shall we?!
How to make Garlic Butter Prawn Orzo (Full Recipe & Video)
For another delicious prawn recipe check out my Tomato Prawn Pasta, Prawn Linguine and Spicy Prawn Noodles! For more similar recipes check out these beauties:
Orzo Recipes
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