Chilli Prawn Linguini 

As a child, one of the books on our shelves was, ‘Spaghetti Manners’ – a sweet little story about a crocodile and his struggle with eating spaghetti in a mannerly fashion.  I never understand the fascination with puritanical pasta etiquette, personally I think there is something deeply pleasing about slurping pasta, especially when it’s coated in a spicy, garlicy oil as in this recipe.  The inevitable slurping involved with this recipe means it’s definitely not first-date food, but is perfect for sharing with non-judgemental friends. 

• 3 tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, mashed or grated as you prefer
• 20 Uncooked King Prawns, shells off 
• 20 Cherry Tomatoes, halved 
• Chilli Flakes 
• Tomato Puree
• Fresh Basil 
• Linguine  - enough for two, so use your own judgement!
• Parmesan 

Boil a large pot of water, and add salt. Once boiling, add the linguine.  This is a quick recipe, so once the pasta is cooking, drizzle the oil into a heavy based pan, and put over a medium heat. Grate the garlic, or mash finely and add to the oil, and allow it to sizzle gently for about 30 seconds, then add the chilli flakes and cook for one minute more.  Then add the prawns to the garlicy, chilli oil.  Stir to coat the prawns in the oil, and once they start to turn pink, add the tomatoes and season with pepper.  Add a good squeeze, or table spoon, of tomato puree. Keep cooking until the prawns are fully pink.  The tomatoes should retain their shape and shouldn’t be overly mushy, just nicely soft.  Add a couple of tablespoons of the boiling water in which the pasta is cooking.  Drain the pasta - then quickly ladle the linguine into the pot with the prawns and tomatoes and toss to ensure even distribution of the prawns and tomatoes.  Serve with a generous handful of torn fresh basil and plenty of Parmesan.  Slurp away.