Prawn and Chilli Linguine


A couple of years ago when I was living in Aberystwyth, my friend Siew and I used to venture into the town whenever we got bored of revising. We’d do a bit of window-shopping and grab some lunch and head to the fishmongers. We spent quite a bit of money in there, buying the freshest seafood you can imagine. Nothing like the stuff you get pre-packed in the supermarket. These were produce that was alive literally hours ago! Needles to say, he soon became our friend, giving us discounts and extra portions, much to our delight!


I miss the luscious, juicy, fresh prawns I used to buy in abundance and when I spotted some in Waitrose the other day, I knew I had to bring some home!
As I needed a quick refuel I decided to stick to a deceptively simple recipe that is low in calories yet so deliciously satisfying.

This is a versatile recipe as you can add or remove ingredients that don’t suit your fancy and you'll still end up with a delicious bowl of pasta.

I love my chillies and garlic so I tend to go a bit ott adding far too much but if you’re not a big fan of heat, feel free to reduce the amount of chilli suggested.



Prawn and Chilli Linguine

Serves 1


Ingredients

Linguine/Spaghetti/ Fettuccine
5-6 raw king prawns
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 large red chilli, sliced (de-seeded, if you prefer)
A handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and black pepper
Basil, to garnish


Method
  1. Start by cooking the pasta according to packet instructions. Once cooked, drain and set aside.
  2. In a separate frying pan, heat the olive oil. Add the chopped garlic and cook on a fairly low heat for a minute without letting the garlic brown. Add the prawns and sauté until cooked. 
  3. Unfortunately I only had enough cash on me for three prawns! So I had to utilise the frozen cooked prawns from the freezer. I know - poor me :( 
  4. Add the chilli, salt and pepper and cook for 30 seconds. Toss the pasta and cherry tomatoes into the pan for 30 seconds and voila! Done.
  5. Tear in the basil leaves and stir. 
  6. Perfect with a rocket side salad.




A little tip - cooking prawns in their shells gives the prawn additional flavour as well as better texture. But then maybe its just the Asian in me. 

Unlike fish/prawns dishes cooked in the UK, where every piece is de-shelled and cut into nice fillets, in Malaysia, when you order a fish/prawn/crab dish, it turns up in its original state, only cooked!

Moving on, don't you just love watching prawns turn from a dull-ish grey to a vibrant pink in a matter of seconds - so pretty!