Summer lovin' (Chilli and prawn pasta)

I love this dish for it’s simplicity and speed.

It is perfect for a relaxed dinner with friends on a week night when you only have a short time to put something together.

It was inspired by the Linguine Gamberetti at one of my favourite Italian restaurants in Sydney, Il Trato Ra Ro, on Major's Bay Road in Concord. They use radicchio but I find it quite bitter so I usually use rocket instead. This time I used a (unidentified) grean leaves in my Harvest of Hope box (http://harvestofhope.co.za/).

 Perfect with a glass(or two) of chilled Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.

Serves 2 hungry people

Ingredients

250g Fresh or Frozen raw Prawns*

1/2 -1 red Chilli - finely chopped or a teaspoon of frozen chilli paste**

3 teaspoons butter

100g dried pasta, preferably spagetti, linguine or tagliatelle

100g cherry tomatoes

1 clove of garlic 

2 handfuls of rocket

Salt and pepper to taste

If you've bought frozen prawns, remove them from the freezer in the morning and place in the fridge to thaw. Alternatively, place in a bowl in a sink with a few centimetres of luke warm water. They should defrost in an hour.

 Place a pot with a few cm of water over high heat. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Boil a kettle of water and add to the pot. Once the water is boiling, add the pasta. Once the pasta is cooked, but not soft (al dente), drain briefly in a colander and return to the pot. Add a teaspoon of butter to the pasta and stir through. Cover with a lid.

While the pasta is cooking:

Shell the prawns.

Heat a pan over medium high heat. Add a teaspoon of butter. Once the butter is melted add half the chilli.

 

 Rinse the cherry tomatoes and prick each one with a sharp knife.

 Add to the pan.

 Cook for 10-15min until the skin starts to soften and the juices ooze out. Place the tomatoes onto a plate.


In the same pan add the remaining chili and butter. Once the butter has melted, add the prawns.   

Cook for approximately 5 minutes, turning halfway until the prawn flesh turns pink and contracts. Over-cooking will result in tough, rubbery prawns.

While the prawns are cooking, crush a clove of garlic into the pan. Once they are cooked, return the tomatoes to the pan and add salt and pepper to taste.

  
Add the cooked pasta to the pan and stir through. 

Serve in shallow bowls topped with rocket.  

  

*[Local note: fresh prawns are very difficult to find in the Western Cape. I find that uncooked frozen prawns give by far the best results. For good value try the Prawn Lovers factory shop on Morningside Rd in Pinelands.]

**[Frozen chili paste - I usually buy several (5-6) chilis at a time. Wearing gloves, I de-seed them and place them in a food processor with a splash of olive oil and process until smooth. I place the paste in the middle of a piece of cling wrap and wrap it carefully around the paste. When I need "fresh" chili, I remove the paste from the freezer and cut off a chunk.]