This recipe for pasta with garlic and prawns is the kind of meal you can throw together really quickly when you’re not in the mood for a lot of cooking!
This is the sort of dinner that is perfect on those evenings when you don’t really feel like cooking or shopping but don’t want to call out for takeaway. You’ll probably have most of the ingredients in your kitchen and if you keep a pack of tiny prawns in your freezer, you won’t even have to go out for those.
The tiny shrimp are perfect for this dish and they will warm through in minutes. You could add some finely chopped chilli along with the garlic if you wish, but I prefer to let the sweetness of the prawns shine through. And I was always told that you should not add parmesan to fish dishes, but I think that is very much a matter of personal taste.
It only takes around 15 minutes to throw this meal together for one person. It’s also very easy to scale up if you want to cook it for two or more.
By the way, I like my prawns very garlicky but obviously you can change the amount to suit your preference!
Garlicky Prawns with Spaghetti (serves 1)
A quick and simple dinner for those nights when you can't be bothered!
- 80 g spaghetti
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 clove of garlic thinly sliced
- 100 g frozen cooked small prawns
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Flat leaf parsley chopped (optional)
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Bring a large pan of water to the boil and add plenty of salt. Add your pasta and set the timer for 1 minute less than on the packet.
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Put the prawns in a bowl and cover with hot water, then set aside to defrost
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While your pasta is cooking, melt the butter over a medium heat in a frying pan that's large enough to take the spaghetti. Add the garlic and gently cook until it is softened, but don’t let the butter or garlic start to brown as they will taste bitter.
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Drain the prawns in a sieve, and then add to the pan to warm through, stirring them into the garlic butter.
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When the timer goes off for your pasta, check a strand to make sure that it's cooked. Remove some of the cooking water in a small cup, and then drain the spaghetti.
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Add the cooked spaghetti into the frying pan and mix in the buttery prawns, adding a spoonful or so of the pasta water if it all looks a little dry.
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Serve in a warmed dish and scatter with chopped parsley.