Name: Creamy Prawn Linguine
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Pasta
Ingredients: 150g linguine (see note 1); 1 tbsp olive oil; 300g deshelled & deveined king prawns (see note 2); 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 1 tsp plain/all-purpose flour; 60ml white wine (see note 3); 125ml single or whipping cream; 1 tbsp lemon juice; 1 small handful of spinach, roughly chopped; few sprigs of parsley, roughly chopped

Question 1

What kind of prawns should I use?

Accepted Answer

Small prawns, big prawns, frozen prawns, king prawns... What should I pick? The two most common types of prawns you will find in UK supermarkets are king prawns or cold water (North Atlantic) prawns. King prawns, as the name suggests, tend to be bigger, while cold water prawns are the smaller type you will find.

I like to use raw king prawns for this pasta. They are a lot 'meatier' and more flavoursome and don't get as lost in the spirals of linguine as the smaller varieties.

However, you can most certainly use whatever type of prawn you prefer for this recipe. If you are using pre-cooked prawns, however, add them after pouring in the cream so they don't turn tough. Note that cold water prawns are more often than not sold pre-cooked.

Question 2

What’s all the hype about pasta water?

Accepted Answer

You may see a lot of recipes that tell you to use the water from the pasta to make the sauce. The reason for this is that when the pasta is cooking it releases starch (which is why the water turns cloudy). When you add this to the sauce it helps to emulsify it. On a basic level, this means it helps the ingredients to stick together which will transform your sauce into a silky and luxurious liquid. Plus, if you’ve added a generous amount of salt to the water when cooking the pasta it will also add more flavour to the final dish.

To easily retain the water you can use tongs, a slotted spoon or one of these skimmers to remove the pasta from the water, rather than tipping everything into a colander in the sink.

Question 3

Can I substitute the wine?

Accepted Answer

If you are worried about alcohol in your cooking then, rest assured, the alcohol will burn out of the wine as it simmers.

However, if you don't buy or use alcohol at all then you can substitute the white wine for some vegetable or fish stock. Or you could leave it out completely and add a dash more cream and pasta water.

Question 4

Additions and substitutions

Accepted Answer

This recipe is perfect as it is (in my humble opinion). However, if you are looking for some ways to mix things up why not try:
•	Adding some freshly grated parmesan - ever since an Italian friend of mine gasped at me across the table in a restaurant after I spooned some parmesan over a fish pasta, I worry that the mere thought of combining seafood and cheese will offend everyone. However, if (like me) you feel that cheese goes with everything then go ahead.
•	Sprinkle in some red chilli flakes to add a little kick to the dish.
•	Add some variety by replacing half the prawns with smoked salmon - add it to the pan when you add the cream.
•	Substitute the parsley with dill for a herby, slightly aniseedy taste.

Creamy Prawn Linguine

Description

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

Nutrition