My delicious Paprika Prawn Linguine combines the sweetness of prawns with smoky paprika, and the sauce is tastes creamy without using any dairy at all.
I like a medium heat, but if you prefer a spicier flavour you could alter the amount of paprika in the sauce to suit your own taste.
It only takes around 15 minutes to cook from start to finish, and if I’m really pushed for time the sauce can mainly be made ahead of time. Just make the sauce up to the point where you add the prawns, and cool quickly. Reheat the sauce gently while you cook the pasta, adding the prawns for the last few minutes.
Paprika Prawn Linguine
(Serves 4)
2 tsp Rapeseed oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
Pinch of salt
1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
400g chopped tomatoes
Water
1 tsp sugar
350g linguine
300g cooked king prawns, defrosted if frozen
Salad and garlic bread to serve
Put a large pan of water on to boil for the pasta, add salt to the water if you wish.
Heat the rapeseed oil in a saucepan over a medium heat and add the onion, garlic and a pinch of salt. Fry for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion and garlic are softened and light golden.
Add the smoked paprika and stir over the heat for a further minute. Do not allow the paprika to burn as it will taste bitter.
Stir in the chopped tomatoes, sugar and half a can of water. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 8 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the packet instructions.
Take the sauce off the heat and use a stick blender to blend until smooth. Alternatively you could transfer the sauce to a liquidiser, but be careful to cover the lid when blending to avoid scalding yourself. You could also leave the sauce chunky if you prefer.
Put the sauce back on the heat, add the prawns and continue to cook for 3 more minutes or until the prawns have heated through.
Drain the pasta and return to the pan, then pour in the sauce and mix well to coat the pasta.
