Prawn Linguine with Garlic and Chili
Quick, garlicky, slightly spicy, and loaded with sweet prawns. This is my emergency dinner when I want to eat well without trying hard.
Main Dish · Prep 10 min · Cook 15 min · Serves 2 · Easy · By Tina · Published
Ingredients
- 250 g linguine
- 300 g large prawns, peeled and deveined
- 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 red chili, thinly sliced
- 100 ml white wine, dry
- 1 lemon, juiced and zested
- 4 tbsp olive oil, good quality
- 1 large handful fresh parsley, chopped
- 100 g cherry tomatoes, halved, optional
- salt, to taste
This is one of those recipes where the ingredient list is short but the result punches way above its weight. Prawns, garlic, chili, white wine, lemon. That is basically it.
The key is not overcooking the prawns — they go in last and only need 2-3 minutes. They should be pink and just curled, not tight little rubber balls. The garlic goes in the pan first with chili and gets fragrant in olive oil, then white wine deglazes everything into the most beautiful sauce.
I have been making this since university. It was the first fancy thing I learned to cook and it still impresses people.
Pro Tips
- Buy shell-on prawns and peel them yourself. The shells make a quick stock — simmer with the pasta water for bonus flavor.
- Slice the garlic thin, do not mince. You want it to melt into the sauce, not burn into bitter bits.
- Add the prawns at the very end, OFF heat. The residual heat cooks them perfectly.
- A good splash of the pasta cooking water brings the whole sauce together.
Serving
Twirl into pasta bowls, top with fresh parsley and a crack of black pepper. Crusty bread for mopping up the sauce is non-negotiable.
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