Paccheri with provola and shrimp

Name: Paccheri with provola and shrimp
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 85 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Paccheri pasta 11.3 oz; Shrimps red 1.1 lbs; Smoked provola cheese 2.1 oz; Datterino tomatoes 14.1 oz; White wine 3 tbsp; Water 1.3 cups; Garlic 1 clove; Basil to taste; Fine salt to taste

it de es fr br

Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 55 min
Serving: 4
Cost: High

PRESENTATION

Paccheri with provola and shrimp is a standout dish from Campania that, to be honest, really grabs your attention. These big, sturdy paccheri noodles—so perfect—are just right for holding onto the sauce. And there's a fantastic mix of sweet prawns and smoky provola cheese. The first bite? Seriously good. A tender prawn, a touch of that cheese, and pasta soaking up all the tomato and prawn bisque. Folks in Southern Italy really know, I mean, how to create something special by mixing classic ingredients in creative ways.

The quick prawn bisque—made by boiling up the prawn shells for just a few minutes—gives the sauce a deeper, rich taste without any fuss. It’s one of those little tricks, you know, that make an Italian seafood pasta recipe really shine. While many traditional dishes from Campania lean on tomato and seafood, adding smoked provola feels both modern and deeply rooted in regional food traditions. Across Naples and the Campania coast, people love putting new twists on pasta.

Instead of using spaghetti or linguine, paccheri pasta lets the sauce sneak inside each tube—making every bite extra moist and flavorful. Some places swap in other shapes—like calamarata or mezze maniche—but paccheri gives that special, chunky bite. What sets this shrimp and provola pasta apart is how the creamy, tangy cheese complements the seafood. It’s not the usual combo, but it just works, trust me, especially if you’re into trying something new and adventurous.

Guests are always surprised—seriously—by the mix of smoky cheese and juicy prawns, making it a dish you’ll want to bring out when you want to impress. Regional dishes like paccheri with provola and shrimp show how Neapolitan cuisine isn’t afraid to experiment. Blending tradition with fresh flavors is kinda their thing. This seafood pasta with cheese is a great example of how Italian pasta with provola can be both classic and, like, really unexpected at the same time. Whether you're enjoying it by the beautiful seaside or in the comfort of your home, it’s a dish that promises a tasty taste of Italy’s culinary creativity. Pretty much.

How to prepare Paccheri with provola and shrimp

To prepare the paccheri with provola and shrimp, first, take care of cleaning the red shrimp. Using your hands, gently detach the legs 1 and remove the shell. Then, with a slight pressure, remove the head 2. By pulling gently, you should also remove the intestine; if not, you can eliminate the black filament using a toothpick. Collect all the shells and heads of the shrimp in a bowl 3.

In another bowl, place the cleaned shrimp 4 and store them in the fridge well covered until use. Prepare a quick bisque. In a saucepan, pour a drizzle of oil and the shrimp scraps 6.

Toast them well, crushing them with a wooden spoon 7. After 3 minutes, deglaze with the white wine 8, and when the alcohol has evaporated, add 300 g (10.5 oz) of water 9. Cook for about 20 minutes.

In the meantime, wash the cherry tomatoes and cut them in half 10. Also, grate the smoked scamorza 11, and set it aside 12.

After 20 minutes, filter the bisque 13, to collect the broth in a bowl 14. Bring the water to boil for the pasta and salt it. Now, in a pan, pour a drizzle of oil, a garlic clove, and a few basil leaves 15.

Let it flavor and add the cherry tomatoes 16. Salt them 17 and sauté until they wilt, then add the bisque 18 and cook for 20 minutes.

When about 10 minutes are left, you can plunge the paccheri into the water that will now be boiling 19. Take the shrimp and divide them in half 20. Pour a drizzle of oil into a pan, heat it, and add the shrimp 21. Sauté briefly, just a couple of minutes.

Transfer the shrimp to the pan with the cherry tomatoes 22, add a ladle of cooking water 23, and the paccheri that you have drained al dente 34.

Sauté everything and add more cooking water if necessary 25. At this point, turn off the heat, add the grated provola 26, and stir the pasta until the provola is completely melted. Plate, decorate with basil leaves, and serve it still hot 27!

Storage

We recommend consuming the paccheri immediately after preparation. Alternatively, they can be stored in the fridge for 1 day.

Both the sauce and the bisque can be frozen.