All these balmy summer days in Melbourne have me wanting to cook and eat so much fish and seafood. This is my absolute favourite dish using spaghetti and prawns. It’s based on a Venetian dish I ate there a few years ago and I love it so much. It’s a cinch to make and the flavours just sing balmy summer nights to me. All I want right now is this dish, a cold glass of pinot grigio, good company and summer days forever. Happy cooking fellow foodies.
What you’ll need:
½ cup olive oil
4 rashers streaky bacon, diced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
350 gm marinated artichoke hearts
500 gm uncooked prawns, peeled and deveined
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
½ cup loosely packed flatleaf parsley, plus extra for serving
400 gm dried spaghettini
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
What to do:
Heat a large frypan over medium heat, add half the oil and bacon and cook until the bacon begins to crisp; add the artichokes and cook for 5 minutes until hot, add garlic and lemon zest and cook until fragrant then transfer everything to a plate. Place the frypan back on the heat and increase to high, add some more oil and cook the prawns in batches so you don’t crowd the pan, until opaque and lightly golden on each side.
Meanwhile, cook the spaghettini in a large pot of salted boiling water according to packet instructions until al dente. Reserve ⅓ cup of cooking water then drain pasta. Return the bacon and artichoke mixture to the prawns, along with the cooked spaghettini, lemon juice, parsley and all the olive oil. Add the pasta water to emulsify the sauce and bring it all together with a silky finish. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve topped with extra fresh parsley and lemon zest. Devour.
Serves 4
