One of the most popular recipes on my Youtube channel is Spaghetti Aglio e Olio. A slick of oily sautéed garlic forms the sauce and like many of the classic pasta recipes, it is its simplicity that makes it so attractive and rewarding to make. Here it’s made all the more crave-worthy with the addition of plump prawns and a gun shot of spice in the form of chilli flakes. If you have fresh chilli, finely slice and add as optional extra heat.

EQUIPMENT

• Chopping board
• Chopping knife
• Mixing bowl
• Tongs
• Wooden spoon
• Large pot
• Large high-sided frying pan

INGREDIENTS

• 500 g spaghetti
• 500 g fresh wild Atlantic prawns
• 5 tbsp olive oil
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp chilli flakes or more if you can handle it!
• 1 lemon zest and juice
• sea salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1 good handful fresh basil to garnish

METHOD

1. Peel and chop the garlic.
2. Add most of the garlic, reserving a clove’s worth for step 5, 1 tbsp of the olive oil and the lemon zest to a bowl. Stir together, season with pepper and marinate the prawns for 5-10 minutes.
3. Boil a large pot of salted water and cook the spaghetti until al dente, reserving some of the pasta water.
4. In a large frying pan over a medium high heat, fry off the garlic prawn mix. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until pink and slightly browned. Once cooked, remove from the pan and set aside.
5. Add the remaining olive oil and garlic to the pan alongside the chilli flakes. Fry until golden, stirring regularly.
6. Using tongs, transfer the cooked spaghetti directly to the pan and toss well to combine.
7. Add in the prawns and stir through vigorously until completely combined. If necessary, add some of the pasta water to loosen up and season generously with salt & pepper to taste.
8. Garnish with basil and serve immediately.