Prawn & Chorizo Pasta

Preparation: 10 mins | Cooking: 15 mins | Serves: 4 adults

Ingredients

• 400g prawns, uncooked, peeled and deveined.
• 2 medium chorizo sausages, sliced to coin size
• 400g of linguine (or pasta or your choice)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3 tomatoes, medium sized and roughly chopped
• 2 tbs tomato paste
• ½ cup of white wine
• 1 chilli, chopped (seeds in or out, it's your call)
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2-3 tbs parsley, finely chopped 
• 1-2 tbs basil, roughly torn
• 2 tbs of lemon juice
• a little lemon zest
• a little butter
• a little olive oil
• salt & pepper

Method

• In a large pot, boil water with 1-2 tbs of salt and cook your pasta of choice.
• Heat a little olive oil in a heavy based pan and fry the chorizo until it looks cooked with some nice brown bits, about 5 mins. Remove and set aside.
• In the same pan, add a little butter and a little more olive oil, add in the onion and garlic, sauté until onion starts to become translucent.
• Add the tomatoes, wine, paprika, lemon zest, half the lemon juice and cook for 5 mins until tomatoes start to soften.
• Add prawns and stir to mix, and add the basil and half the parsley. Stir and simmer until prawns are almost cooked (they will turn opaque).
• Add back the chorizo and stir back in.
• By this time your pasta should be ready (cooked to al dente). Drain and throw your pasta in with the prawn and chorizo sauce and carefully combine over the heat for 1-2 mins only.
• Serve up on plates or serve in a bowl to share, adding a little extra lemon juice and garnish and a little more parsley - for the show.

Tips & Alternatives

• There is a 'rule of thumb' you shouldn't add parmesan to seafood pasta ... ignore it, it is not a 'law' - do or do not - I love it and for this dish it works just fine for me.
• Chorizo is perfect for the dish, but feel free to swap with another preferred sausage. Just make sure it is cooked or cured to eat before adding.
• The type of pasta you use is up to you.
• You can use lime to replace the lemon.
• There are recipes that add capers or mushrooms, don't be afraid to try.
• For pasta dishes like this I use a heavy wok shaped pan rather than a traditional flat pan. Helps to keep things centred as well as keeping things in the pan :-)