chorizo, prawn & chilli pasta

Goooood morning! Well it’s back to normal in that I am posting this while in bed with my morning vat mug of tea, but it is also the start of the new normal in my big ole empty nest. In this moment Rich is valiantly getting his head around his first few weeks of university life (not sure of papers, hall food sucks etc), Henry has started his new job with Nique in Melbourne and settling into his new life (outdoor movies, galley openings, 24 hour ramen) and Nick is in Melbourne before heading off to Shanghai again (not as glamorous as it sounds as he can attest after 25 years of travel). So – it’s just you, me and two (slightly smelly) dogs. On the upside I have been testing my recipes on more people – even with my passion for food I can not eat a whole cake (well not in one sitting any way), or dinner for four, so my sister regularly gets a 4pm text saying – come by for cake/curry/fish burgers! So any way, poo, missing my peoples. One bit of exciting news is that Waiheke is actually under way, in that we have had meetings with the builder and architect, initial concept drawings look fabulous and my master plan of creating a haven that everyone will return to for nurturing and feeding in idyllic surroundings is under way…mwahahahahahaha!
…and oh yep – check out this chorizo, prawn and chilli pasta!!! I have been making variations on this for ages because it is so super quick and easy, but packed with lovely, grunty flavours: garlic, chilli, smoked paprika and parsley swirling around the prawns and chorizo with lovely al dente pasta. One Dish reader suggested a squeeze of lemon which I think is a great idea to give a little bit of sharpness at the end 🙂 It’s the perfect recipe to bridge the summer/autumn gap (yes I know it is actually autumn but Mother Nature doesn’t always follow the calendar exactly) in that it has that beachy summer vibe with the prawns and chilli but the garlicky chorizo gives it a bit more comfort food action. Anyhoo, all you need with it is a glass of red, a wee green salad, some good bread and friends or family to share it with. Have a great weekend!

 

2 tablespoons olive oil
16 medium/large raw prawns, with tails on (or chop them off if they annoy you!)
300g Spanish chorizo, angle sliced into rounds
1 small red onion, finely sliced
3-4 cloves garlic, crushed (amount depends on size of cloves, I like a lot of garlic, so use more)
¼ cup dry white wine
½ teaspoons sweet smoked paprika
¼ – ½ teaspoon dried chilli flakes
2 medium tomatoes, diced
2 tablespoons mascarpone, sour cream or crème fraiche
400g pasta such as linguine or spaghetti
¼ cup finely chopped parsley
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to serve
A squeeze of fresh lemon to serve (optional)

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan and cook prawns for 1-2 minutes each side until cooked through. Remove prawns from pan and set aside, add remaining oil to the pan and cook chorizo and onion together over a medium heat for 8-10 minutes. Meanwhile bring a large pot of water to the boil and cook pasta until only just al dente & reserve 2 tablespoons pasta water when draining. While pasta is cooking add garlic to chorizo and cook for 1 minute, then add wine, paprika and chilli flakes. Cook 3-4 minutes then add tomatoes and mascarpone and return prawns to the mixture. Cook a further few minutes until everything is heated through then stir through half of the parsley (If you feel like it needs any more moisture at this point add reserved pasta water). Season to taste with sea salt if desired, and serve with the remaining parsley and a good grinding of black pepper. All you need to go with this is a little green salad and some good bread. Serves 4

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