Danielle Alvarez’s prawn and chilli linguine breaks all the rules

Name: Danielle Alvarez’s prawn and chilli linguine breaks all the rules
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Ingredients: 1kg green (raw) prawns or 450g green prawn meat; 400g dried linguine; 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for finishing; 2 tbsp finely chopped spring onion; 2 tbsp finely minced garlic; 1 long red chilli, de-seeded and finely minced (use less if you don’t like heat); 2 tbsp tomato paste (concentrate); 2 tbsp fish sauce; 1½ tbsp mirin; zest and juice of ½ a lemon; 2 tbsp finely chopped Italian parsley; 2 tbsp finely chopped chives; salt and freshly cracked black pepper; grated parmigiano-reggiano for serving

Danielle Alvarez

April 21, 2023

This prawn and chilli linguine is different and delicious.William Meppem

easyTime:< 30 minsServes:4

Every so often I find myself doing crazy things in the kitchen, such as adding fish sauce and mirin to pasta. Combining seafood and cheese? The truth is that as much as I love tradition, I also like to break the rules. However, in order to break the rules well, you must first know how to play the game.

I love prawns and I love pasta, but I don’t always love how they come together. Either too “bisque-y” and rich if made using prawn stock or insipid if made without. This quick work around delivers the umami boost of a stock and enhances the prawns’ inherent sweetness without actually making stock or adding butter. Surprisingly, you won’t taste the fish sauce or the mirin, but you will think, this prawn pasta is different and delicious.

Oh, and just to break one more rule, I add parmigiano-reggiano. Go on, you know you want to.

Ingredients

1kg green (raw) prawns or 450g green prawn meat
400g dried linguine
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for finishing
2 tbsp finely chopped spring onion
2 tbsp finely minced garlic
1 long red chilli, de-seeded and finely minced (use less if you don’t like heat)
2 tbsp tomato paste (concentrate)
2 tbsp fish sauce
1½ tbsp mirin
zest and juice of ½ a lemon
2 tbsp finely chopped Italian parsley
2 tbsp finely chopped chives
salt and freshly cracked black pepper
grated parmigiano-reggiano for serving

Method

Step 1
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil.
Step 2
If using whole prawns, peel and de-vein them. Cut each prawn into 2-3 bite-sized pieces, season with a bit of salt and set aside.
Step 3
Place the linguine into the boiling water. While the pasta cooks, heat a deep pot or pan over medium heat and add the olive oil, spring onion, garlic and chilli and saute for about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, fish sauce and mirin and simmer for another
minute. Drop in the chopped prawns and cook until the prawns are opaque (about 2-3 minutes).
Step 4
When the pasta is cooked, drain it, reserving a mug of the cooking water. Add the pasta and reserved cooking water to the prawns and turn up the heat to high. Toss everything together vigorously until the “sauce” is coating the pasta, then turn off the heat.
Step 5
Finish the pasta with a good glug of extra virgin olive oil, lemon zest and juice, herbs and freshly cracked black pepper. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. Divide into four bowls and top with the grated parmigiano-reggiano.