chilli and garlic prawn linguine with bacon, zucchini and lemon

Prawns are a delicious and special treat. I like to buy them whole and then shell, de-vein and remove the head and tail myself. Well I don’t really ‘like’ doing the actual task (slow, laborious etc), but I prefer the taste of the prawns vs the already shelled and blanched ones you can buy.

There are also times when I like to cook prawns with the shell and head on, and then peel and suck the juices out of them, but when making a pasta, I want their meat only.

So using some of may favourite ingredients I had on hand after making my prawn and zucchini pizza with mozzarella soaked in cream, I thought to make a pasta. And then to take the whole dish onto another level of awesome, I decided to add bacon.

Bacon + prawn = heavenly combo

Zucchini (courgette) is one of my favourite vegetables and I love cutting them into fine strips as I find they cling so well to the linguine, as well as look really pretty.

So this is what you need to make this pasta

*I have listed ingredients in more or less for a single serving, just extrapolate up according to how many people you would like to feed.

** I find pasta dishes one of the most simple things to make and always cook from feel, tasting as I go. Adding a bit of this or extra seasoning as I taste and go.

• 70 – 100gm linguine (I used whole wheat organic pasta because its healthier, its lower in GI and frankly I prefer the taste)
• 6 – 8 large prawns
• 2 rashers of smoked streaky bacon finely chopped
• 2 small zucchini or 1 large sliced into ribbons using a potato peeler, and then cut into smaller strips
• 1 clove of garlic crushed
• half a green chilli finely cut
• a splash of cream and 50gm mozzarella *optional and to add some richness to the dish
• a few sprigs of thyme or chopped parsley
• lemon zest to taste
• lemon juice to taste
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

How to make this:

• Cook the pasta in salted boiling water
• just before the pasta is ready, add the zucchini strips to the water and cook for about 2 minutes, then strain in a colander, set aside (I drizzled a bit of basil infused olive oil to ensure the pasta does not stick)
• heat a pan and fry the bacon until crispy, remove and set aside
• in the same pan, with a bit of the bacon fat lining it, very quickly fry the prawns until just starting to turn pink
• as they turn pink, add the garlic and chilli to the pan and toss around a bit. I find if I add the garlic at the beginning when I add the prawns, it can burn a bit
• then squeeze over a bit of lemon juice and a few grates of zest along with the thyme or chopped parsley (or both)
• add the bacon back, along with the pasta and zucchini and mix it about ensuring all the ingredients are heated
• at this point add the cream and mozzarella if you want a more indulgent pasta, otherwise its a lovely, lighter and zesty dish
• add salt and black pepper if necessary and serve

I loved everything about this dish and can see it take over the spot of ‘my signature pasta dish’.