:: Fasta Pasta ::

Prawn, Zucchini & Mint Pasta

:: Megann’s Kitchen ::

:: fresh prawn, zucchini & mint pasta ::

This is an incredible Tobie Puttock inspired pasta dish that I came across in a vintage delicious magazine & I have slightly tweaked & made it many, many times. It has beautiful fresh, light flavours & is perfect for a Spring or Summers day.

Now that I have started back at work & I have to think of some meals that are fast, fresh & tasty that the whole family can eat... & my word, this is one of them!

My toddler loves it & tonight even asked for seconds! “Moooooorrrree?” he pleaded, holding up his bowl, very much like the boy from the movie 'Oliver'. “What’s the magic word?” I asked. “Paleeeeeaasse?” he said, pushing the bowl out a little further. “Sure!” I answered excitedly. Usually my food gets thrown across the room, but tonight it was downed in two.

Tobie insists on fresh prawns, but in the world of fast meals, I buy the desired recipe quantities already weighed & still frozen from the fish mongers (kept out the back) so there isn’t any ‘double freezing’. This means I take out the package from the freezer the night before to defrost, ready for my meal the next day! 
Hats off to all the hard working parents out there, I hope you enjoy this delicious fast food as much as my family does.

400g pasta (tagliatelle, fettuccine, chitarra, spaghetti)

Extra virgin olive oil
2 zucchinis (courgettes), sliced lengthways into 3mm wide ribbons

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

400g large, uncooked prawn tails

Zest of 1 lemon

½ tsp crumbled dried chilli
1 anchovy fillets
100 ml dry white wine
45g butter
¼ cup mint leaves, torn
½ cup of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Note: I have allowed for a lot of moisture content to come out the prawns when weighing.

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water according to packet instructions & al dente. Drain.
In the mean time, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large non-stick pan over a medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for a couple of minutes until it is soft & fragrant. Add the prawns, chilli, anchovies & lemon zest & cook for about 1 minute or until the prawns just turn opaque. Add the wine & allow it to evaporate just a little. Add the zucchini ribbons & heat through. Add butter & drained pasta, tossing and stirring to combine all the ingredients. Add the mint and parsley. As soon as dish is completely heated through, remove the pan from the heat.
Season with ground black pepper & if necessary, a little sea salt (remember you have the salt from the anchovies!), & add a tablespoon or so of olive oil. Garnish with extra herbs. Serve immediately.

:: make sure to prepare your ingredients in advance ::

Kitchen Notes

:: Prepare all of your ingredients & measurements before you start cooking as it is a fast tempo once you start! The prawns, chilli, anchovies & lemon zest go in at the same time so I place them all in the one bowl.

:: If prawns are not available, use scallops or squid instead.

:: When we have fresh chillies in season, I use 1 red chilli chopped finely in lieu of the dried chilli.

:: If having a dinner party & wanting to impress with this simple dish, Tobie suggests to add zucchini flowers to the dish by tossing the torn zucchini flowers through at the last minute.

:: twirl your plate using tongs to create a tall nest of pasta, then eat!!! ::

Style

:: Whilst placing your pasta onto your plate with tongs, hold the pasta high above the dish, twirling the plate underneath as you slowly move closer to get a nice, high placement of a pasta nest. Finish with a few extra prawns, mint leaves, light zesting of lemon rind & for people who like spice, a little extra chilli.

:: my zyliss julienne peeler- so fast in the kitchen ::

Tools

:: I absolutely love my Zyliss Julienne Peeler. It is perfect for this kind of dish! I usually get two large zucchini’s & peel them with the Zyliss Julienne Peeler, leaving the core, as the seeds really don’t allow it to have enough structure. It is so quick & easy to create a big bowl of evenly sliced vegetables & for $10-$15, it is worth having in the drawer.

:: Note- So far in the world of blogging, I have not recieved any money for product endorsements. I shall continue to make sure that products that are on this blog come from the heart in order to help you at home.

:: the whole family sitting down to eat the one meal = bliss ::

Source

:: Zyliss Julienne Peeler is available from all good kitchenware outlets & online stores. Just a click away? Try Amazon.