How to make Clodagh McKenna's seafood linguine

A zesty summer pasta dish perfect for a garden lunch

Juicy prawns pan-fried with sizzling chilli, aromatic garlic and zingy ginger wrapped in linguine scattered with flat-leaf parsley.

This is one of my favourite easy-to-prepare meals that I developed last year for the Today show in the US. It takes just 15 minutes to cook and is bursting with flavour. I make it for a cosy supper for two but it also doubles up for bigger suppers, as everyone loves it. I quite like having a big bowl of green leaves afterwards to cleanse the palate, simply dressed with 50ml of extra virgin olive oil, the juice of half a lemon and a teaspoon of Dijon mustard whisked together.

When shopping for the ingredients it’s important to buy good-quality linguine. De Cecco is an excellent brand that you can find in most supermarkets but my utmost favourites are Rustichella D’Abruzzo, Rigorosa and Martelli — you’ll find these in good food shops.

When you are draining the cooked pasta, hold back a few tablespoons of the cooking liquid and, once the pasta is drained, stir the cooking liquid into the pasta — this will stop it sticking together.

If you want to upgrade this dish, try it with fresh lobster. It’s amazing. I sometimes add chopped ripe tomatoes too. Get a delicious bottle of Whispering Angel rosé wine chilling while you’re cooking. They go so well together. Set a table outside in the sun and you have the best meal you can imagine.

Chilli and prawn linguine

Serves: 4

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 800g dried linguine
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
  • 2 fresh red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
  • 450g large raw prawns, peeled
  • juice of ½ lemon              
  • 1 tablespoon of fresh ginger, grated
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Place a large saucepan filled with water over a high heat and bring to the boil. Season with sea salt. Once the water has come to the boil, stir in the linguine and cook for 10 minutes.

2. While the pasta is cooking, place a large frying pan over a medium heat and add the rapeseed oil, followed by the garlic, fresh ginger and chillies and cook, stirring, for two minutes. Increase the heat to high, add the prawns and the lemon juice. Cook, stirring, for three to four minutes, or until they turn pink and are cooked through.

3. Drain the pasta, and return to the saucepan, stir in the prawns along with the parsley and a tablespoon of olive oil. Season with more sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and toss well.

Follow Clodagh on Instagram @clodagh_mckenna.