Prawn Pasta Aglio Olio e Peperoncino

Under The SeaEasy Peasy Dinners
Written By Bianca Roman

A speedy dinner full of flavour

Ah, pasta. The perfect carb. Lending itself to a million variations and providing the solution to many weeknight dinners when comfort and speed in delivering food to the table are of the essence. I find good pasta needs little else than some cheese, a glug of olive oil, whatever fresh herbs are wilting in your fridge.

Possibilities are as numerous as there are pasta shapes and all that's needed is a bit of imagination.

For lunch this week I was scratching my head as to what to do with a few king size prawns in my fridge. I definitely didn't want them to go to waste but wanted a bit more than the garlic and parsley combo I usually reserve for them. And then I remembered the simplest pasta recipe. Aglio, olio e peperoncino. Garlic, olive oil, chilli. And really, what's not to love? The perfect base for a speedy lunch that kept us happy and fed in all of 15 minutes of work.

Ingredients (serves 2, generously)

  • 400g fresh prawns, butterflied and deveined

  • 2-3 garlic cloves (but really, measure with your heart here)

  • 1 fresh chilli, chopped finely (I also added some chilli flakes as my fresh chilli was rather disappointing from a heat perspective)

  • 1/2 bunch of fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

  • olive oil, a knob of butter

  • the zest of half a lemon, to finish

  • salt, pepper to taste

  • 250g pasta of your choice (I used angel hair pasta but spaghetti would work perfectly as well)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions. Mine cooked rather fast, 5 minutes and it was done.

Meanwhile, heat a glug of oil and butter in a pan. When sizzling add your garlic and fresh chilli and/or chilli flakes. Let them cook for a few seconds until fragrant.

Add the prawns (make sure you dry them well with a paper towel before cooking) and cook on both sides until pink and opaque. This should take at most 3-5 minutes.


With tongs, bring in your cooked pasta from the boiling water making sure to also add a little bit of that cooking water to the pot. It will emulsify with the oil and create the most luscious sauce. Mix well making sure the pasta strands are all well coated and adding a touch of olive oil if needed. Add the parsley and lemon zest and mix well again.

When serving, top the pasta with a few strands of lemon zest and a drizzle of olive oil to finish. Add a great big green salad with a lemony dressing on the side and congratulate yourself for having food on the table in the blink of an eye. Enjoy!

Let me know if you make it and subscribe for more mouthwatering easy recipes!








Bianca Roman
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