The Easiest Weeknight Dinner
This is the one I cook when I get home late and can’t be bothered with anything fancy. Fifteen minutes start to finish, six ingredients you’ve usually got knocking about, and it tastes like something from a proper Italian restaurant. Fresh king prawns make all the difference. Bag-of-frozen prawns will work in a pinch but it’s not the same dish.
Method
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Boil the pasta. Get a big pan of salted water on. Cook the linguine according to the packet, usually 9-10 minutes. Don’t drain yet, just keep an eye on it.
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Start the sauce. While the pasta cooks, warm the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and chilli and cook gently for 1-2 minutes. You want the garlic just golden, not brown. Burnt garlic ruins this dish.
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Add the prawns. Turn the heat up to medium-high and add the prawns. Cook for 1-2 minutes until they turn pink and start to curl. Don’t overcook them. They’ll keep cooking when the pasta hits the pan.
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Deglaze with wine. Pour in the white wine. Let it bubble for 30 seconds to cook off the alcohol. Squeeze in the lemon juice.
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Combine. Use tongs to lift the cooked linguine straight from the boiling water into the prawn pan. A bit of pasta water clinging to the strands is what you want. It emulsifies with the oil to make a glossy sauce. Add a splash more pasta water (a couple of tablespoons) if it looks dry.
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Toss and serve. Toss everything together over the heat for 30 seconds. Off the heat, scatter in the chopped parsley and toss again. Taste: adjust with salt, pepper, more lemon if needed.
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Plate up. Twist into bowls with tongs, drizzle a final drop of good olive oil over the top.
Serving Suggestions
- Crusty bread and a green salad on the side
- A glass of crisp Italian white (Vermentino, Pinot Grigio, Soave)
- Skip the parmesan: Italians don’t put cheese on seafood pasta, and they’re right
Tips From the Counter
- Buy fresh raw king prawns. Cooked prawns won’t work here; they’ll go rubbery. Get them raw, shelled, deveined. We do that prep on the counter.
- Don’t crowd the pan. If you’re doubling up, use two pans. Crowded prawns steam instead of sear and you lose the flavour.
- Save your pasta water. Don’t tip it down the sink before the sauce is finished. That starchy water is what brings everything together.
- Wine optional. No wine? Use an extra splash of pasta water and a bit more lemon. It’ll still be brilliant.
Variations
- Tomato version: Add a tin of cherry tomatoes after the garlic. Cook down for 5 minutes before adding the prawns.
- Bigger feast: Add mussels or clams with the prawns for a posh-pub-style mixed seafood linguine.
- Cream finish: A splash of cream at the end and you’ve got prawn linguine in cream sauce. Less authentic but very tasty.
Buy Fresh King Prawns
Our raw king prawns are peeled and deveined to order, properly fresh, never refrozen. Order online for next-day delivery across all BH postcodes. Free delivery, £40 minimum order.
Also worth a look: whole king prawns for something bigger, or browse the full prawn range.