Pesto Prawn courgette linguine

 

This meal was a change from my usual prawn and pasta meal with a few more ingredients, but it was worth the extras. I loved the basil flavour and the lightly cooked courgettes . It felt fresh, light and would be perfect on a summers evening . 

The recipe is taken the Nutritionist Emily English from her cook book, So Good .  I am on a mission to work my way through the book . The recipes are fairly low calorie and well balanced and everyone I have tried so far has been a delight.

Ingredients:
Serves 2
 
1 large courgette (zucchini), spiralized or sliced into ribbons
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 banana shallots, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2-3 large handfuls of cherry tomatoes
8 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and diced
160g dried linguine
160g peeled prawns
Zest of 1 lemon, plus a squeeze of juice
30g Parmesan cheese, grated
Generous handful of basil leaves, torn
Salt and pepper
Dried chilli flakes, to serve



Method:
Place the courgette in a colander, sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
Heat the olive oil in a deep frying pan over a low-medium heat, then saute the shallots and garlic with a pinch of salt until translucent
Add the cherry tomatoes and sun-dried tomatoes and continue sautéing for 5 minutes, or until the cherry tomatoes start to burst
4. Meanwhile, cook the linguine in a pan of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain, reserving a cupful of the cooking water.
5. Use the back of a wooden spoon to press the tomatoes, releasing their juices. Add 2 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water and the prawns to the pan, allowing the prawns to cook for about 2 minutes.
6. Incorporate the drained pasta, lemon zest, a squeeze of juice, two-thirds of the Parmesan, the basil and a crack of black pepper.
7. Stir well to mix all the flavours, then fold in the courgette ribbons just to warm them through.
8. Serve sprinkled with the remaining Parmesan and a pinch of chilli flakes.