If you want a really quick but luxurious and satisfying dish, this is one for you. I love this dish because it feels slightly posh like something you would find in an Italian restaurant, but actually is very easy and accessible to make at home.

There’s all sorts of recipes out there, but as you know, I like to use up what I have in my house rather than going to the shops all the time. Some recipes cook the prawns within the sauce and then add the pasta, however I marinated my prawns in garlic and chilli and then grilled them. Oh my gosh it completely changed the flavour and tasted heavenly. The char on the prawns really added a great smokey nutty flavour and lifted the dish that little bit more. Be careful not to overcook the prawns though, as they cook in a matter of minutes.

I also added a small grating of parmesan cheese on top of this prawn linguine. Now I know that adding cheese to a seafood Italian dish can be very controversial! Honestly, I am not sure what is the right answer, however I see nothing wrong with adding some parmesan to finish this dish off nicely. I liked it, but you can do whatever you prefer 🙂

When it comes to cooking pasta, I have learned two very important tips. The first one is to always save some of the cooking water that you have boiled the pasta in. This starchy water is what will keep your dish nice and moist, rather than stodgy dry pasta. When you remove the pasta and add it to your sauce, splash some starchy water too. Toss it together and the pasta will be loose and shiny.

The second tip is to keep the portions small. I can’t tell you how many times I have cooked too much pasta. I then end up eating more than I need and suddenly wonder why my hips are getting bigger. Try and measure out the pasta before you boil it. Approximately 70-80g seems to be enough for a single portion. It may not look like a lot, but it will certainly fill you up!

Give this one a go one evening. It’s a great dish to make on a date night!

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 10-12 king prawns (peeled and de-veined)
• 3 large tomatoes
• 1 tsp tomato puree
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
• 160g linguine
• Parmesan cheese (to garnish)
• Basil and extra virgin olive oil (to garnish)

Method:

• In a bowl, add a tiny splash of oil, half a clove of chopped garlic and a pinch of chilli flakes and marinate the prawns in this for half an hour.
• Next, thinly slice the rest of the garlic and add to a frying pan on a medium heat with a tsp of olive oil.
• Roughly chop the tomatoes, discarding the watery inside and add to the frying pan once the garlic has been lightly cooked. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and let this cook down until soft. In the mean time, add your linguine to a large pot of boiling water and cook according to the packet instructions.
• When the tomatoes have softened, add the tomato puree and a splash of water and mix through. Add some chilli flakes to taste and some cracked black pepper.
• In a hot grill pan, add the prawns and cook for 1 or 2 minutes on each side, or until cooked through.
• Add the linguine to the tomato sauce and toss together. Add a splash of the cooking water from the linguine to loosen.
• Plate the linguine in a swirl on the plate, place the prawns over the top and garnish with extra virgin olive oil, parmesan cheese and basil leaves.
• Serve immediately and enjoy!

Tip: If the tomatoes are looking dry when softening, keep adding small spoonfuls of water to keep it loose.

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