Chilli Prawn Pasta 

Chilli Prawn Pasta 

Chilli Prawn Pasta Photo: Sarah Tuck

Ready in a flash, this pasta with a kick is the perfect midweek meal solution, but also delicious enough to serve to friends.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
120 grams pancetta or streaky bacon, chopped
5 mini sweet capsicums, sliced
24 raw prawn cutlets
2 red chillies, sliced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 x 400-gram tins cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
420 grams dried linguine or spaghetti 
To serve
120 grams mascarpone
½ teaspoon chilli flakes 
1/3 cup finely chopped parsley

Method:

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and add the pancetta. Cook for 3-4 minutes until starting to go crispy, then add the capsicums. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute, then add the prawns, chillies and garlic. Cook for 3-4 minutes, turning the prawns once. Add the cherry tomatoes and their juice and the tomato paste and stir to combine. Cook together for 5 minutes. 

While the sauce is cooking, cook the pasta according to the packet instructions and drain, reserving 2 tablespoons of the cooking water. 

Add the drained pasta and cooking water to the prawn mixture and stir to combine. Divide between 4 serving plates and top each with a scoop of mascarpone and a sprinkling of chilli flakes and parsley. Serves 4