Prawn and Vegetable Spaghetti

This is an easy but delicious family meal that takes very little time to prepare making the most of succulent king prawns and your favourite vegetables.

I made up some courgetti - our first time having this in a long time, and washed and sliced some fresh Swiss Chard from my vegetable patch which worked wonderfully in this; but spinach or watercress leaves would also work well. The below served the four of us (two adults, two children under six). 

For those following Slimming World, this works out at under 2 syns per portion which is for the white wine, everything else is free and there is a lot of Speed used too. 

Prawn and Vegetable Spaghetti

Here's how:

• 300g king prawns (without the shells)
• 1 red onion
• 1 clove of garlic
• Few sprays of Fry Light either the Olive Oil or Extra Virgin Olive Oil variant
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp white wine (I used Vina Sol - my current tipple of choice)
• 2 tbsp capers
• Handful basil (leaves and stalks)
• Handful dill fronds
• 1 courgette
• 100g Swiss Chard, Watercress or Spinach
• 300g dried spaghetti
• Salt
• Black pepper

Firstly fill and boil the kettle for the pasta water and place a large pan on a medium heat with the few sprays of Fry Light.

Finely dice the red onion and mince the garlic and add to the pan to soften. Next add the capers and the chopped tomatoes with the white wine, season with salt and black pepper and mix. Take the stalks from the basil and finely chop and add to the sauce - this gives a great flavour to a tomato based sauce. 

Allow to cook down for five minutes. 

Now use the boiled water to completely cover the spaghetti in a large pot with a pinch of salt, stir and place onto a medium heat and cook for approximately 9-10 minutes, us until 'al dente' firm to the bite. 

While the pasta is cooking, take the time to make up courgetti. You can use a spiraliser if you have one, or you can cut the courgette into thick ribbons, and then cut long slices. 

Wash the green vegetable you are using whether that is the chard, spinach or watercress and cut into small pieces and set aside. 

When the pasta has just five minutes of cooking time remaining, add the courgetti to the pan with the sauce, and then the prawns and move around with a spatula to ensure they all get cooked well. In the last minute or two add the chard or other green veg and move around to ensure it takes on the heat of the dish. 

Once the pasta is cooked and the prawns are cooked through, use a spaghetti server to lift the spaghetti out of the saucepan and into the pan with the sauce. Once all is transferred, also add 2 tbsp of the pasta cooking water to the pasta and toss in the sauce, still on the heat. 

At this point add almost all of the basil leaves and dill fronds and allow them to be stirred through the pasta. Transfer to a serving bowl then garnish with more dill and basil; give a final seasoning of black pepper and you're ready to serve. Enjoy!

If you love pasta dishes, here are a few more you may enjoy:

• Salmon Pasta Salad
• Chicken & Chorizo Penne
• Cumberland Sausage Pasta
• Salmon & Dill Gnocchi Bake
• Smoked Salmon Carbonara
• Squash Mac & Cheese
• Seafood Spaghetti with Saffron & Chilli
• Crab & Asparagus Linguine with Parsley Pangritata
• Pastitsio - The Greek Lasagna
• Prawn & Chorizo Carbonara

King Prawn Linguine with Chilli and Saffron

This is a delicious prawn pasta dish I've been tweaking over the past couple of years, but this version is just an absolutely winning crowd pleaser. 

If you read posts here often you'll know that as a family, we all love seafood and especially prawns and this has to be my favourite prawn pasta dish, I do make a few variants! 

This can be on the table in less than twenty minutes too - win, win.

For my family of four, I make the same as the below minus the red chilli for the girls, but you could always add a little extra creme fraiche to balance the heat. Make sure a finger bowl and towel is at hand as peeling them can be a little messy especially if the little ones attempt it - I tend to peel their ones for them to save the drama.

King Prawn Linguine with Chilli and Saffron

Here's how:

• 15-18 king prawns, raw and shell-on
• 4 spring onions
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 red chilli
• Handful cherry tomatoes
• 400g passata
• 1 tablespoon tomato puree
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• Black pepper
• Pinch of saffron strands
• 1-2 tablespoons of creme fraiche
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 300g linguine
• Few sprigs parsley

Firstly boil the kettle or place a large pot of water on the hob to boil for the pasta. Once boiled, add the linguine and cook for 10-11 minutes, or according to the pack instructions.

Now finely slice the spring onions, garlic, and chilli, and throw into a pan with the olive oil on a medium heat.

Now cut the cherry tomatoes in half and throw them into the pan once the onion, garlic and chilli have began to soften.

After two minutes add the saffron, passata and the tomato puree and season generously. Stir, and then allow to bubble away for ten minutes.

Now add the prawns, you will see the pink colour creep up the prawns as they cook, turn over after 1-2 minutes and allow to cook on both sides.

Before draining the pasta, add 1-2 tablespoons of the pasta water to the sauce, this will help to loosen it and coat the pasta well.

Add the pasta to the sauce, still on the heat and mix well. Then finally stir through the creme fraiche - 1 tablespoon is plenty for us, but if you taste to gauge the heat level at this point, you can always add a little more if you'd prefer it slightly less spicy.

Mix through thoroughly, then dish up and add a sprig of parsley to each. Enjoy!

King Prawn Linguine with Chilli and Saffron for the family

If like us you love a prawn dish, here are a few other ideas for you:
Prawn Saganaki
Chilli and Prawn Chorizo Spaghetti
Spanish Prawns with Chorizo and Tomatoes
Prawn and Chorizo Carbonara
Skinny Spicy Breaded King Prawns
Gourmet Seafood Burger
Honey Ginger and Chilli Prawn Stir Fry
Prawn Summer Rolls
Vicky's Special Seafood Stew

Prawn and Chorizo Carbonara

This is so simple it barely counts as a recipe, but it's a satisfyingly delicious meal for mid-week, when time is precious and few. It can be on the table in under 12 minutes which is impressive.

With a smoky, warming flavour from the chorizo plus the comforting pasta stodge, it really does tick all the boxes.

As I'm on what feels like a never-ending 'diet' to shift the remaining baby weight, and Glen is  attempting to shift a few pounds  before holiday season, portion sizes reflect this. You may want to increase for larger appetites.

I've omitted from using any additional olive oil, relying on the oil released from the chorizo instead, to shave off a few extra calories, but you may want to add this if you're not watching your weight.

The below makes enough for two:

Prawn and Chorizo Carbonara

Here's how:

• x2 chorizo cooking sausages
• 150g raw prawns
• 1 red chilli
• 1 clove garlic
• 40g Grana Padana cheese
• 1 egg
• 100g dried pasta (I used penne)
• Salt and pepper to season

Firstly fill and boil the kettle and then fill a large pot with the water and place on a low heat with the pasta. Place a frying pan on a low heat too.

Finely slice the garlic and chilli, and cut the chorizo sausages into rounds of about the thickness of a £1 coin, and then half them. Add to the frying pan.

Now into a bowl crack the egg and grate in the cheese and season generously with salt and black pepper. Give a good mix.

Two minutes before the pasta timer goes off, add the prawns to the pan, they will cook in no time at all, and you'll know they're cooked through as they will become pink all over.

Before draining the pasta, scoop out a mugful of the pasta water and set aside.

Drain the pasta and add to the chorizo and prawn mix on the heat, mix and then remove from the heat completely.

Now pour over the egg mixture and stir well, the heat from the pasta will cook the egg, as with carbonara, so don't feel tempted to place back on the heat or you'll end up with scrambled egg in your pasta.

Make sure you stir well to ensure all of the pasta gets a good coating and add 1-2 tbsp of the pasta water to loosen up the consistency.

Serve with just a smattering of grated cheese and a final seasoning. Enjoy!