Spinach Linguini with Chilli Garlic Prawns Recipe

How to make Spinach Linguini with Chilli Garlic Prawns

Method

  1. To make the linguini, first plunge the spinach into a pot of boiling water for a few seconds, then place it in a bowl of iced water to cool it quickly. This will preserve its colour.
  2. Once cool, squeeze dry the spinach, making sure you remove as much water as possible.
    Chop very finely.
  3. Sieve the flour onto a flat surface and form it into mound. Make a small well in the middle to accommodate the eggs. Break the eggs into a bowl and briefly whisk in the spinach. Pour into the well and using your hands, slowly incorporate the flour into the eggs by drawing it from the middle of the mound, working outwards until the flour is incorpororated. Keep mixing until you have a shaggy dough. Using your hands, knead for 10 minutes or until smooth. It should be smooth and not sticky. If there is any stickiness, knead with a touch more flour until smooth and supple.
  4. Flatten into a disc, wrap in cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for half an hour.
  5. Cut the dough into 4 pieces and roll them one by one in a pasta maker, making sure you run them through each thickness setting twice, until you get to the desired thickness. You will need to dust them with flour if they start feeling sticky. Once you have the desired thickness, dust pasta sheets with extra flour and cover with cling film to prevent them drying out.
  6. Use a spaghetti or angel hair cutter to gently cut the sheets into pasta strands. Dust the strands with more flour and place into loose ‘nests’ on a well-floured board. Allow to dry, uncovered for an hour.
  7. For the sauce, place olive oil into a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the chilli and garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the prawns and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until prawns are cooked through. Season well.
  8. Meanwhile, boil the pasta in plenty of well-salted water for 1½ to 2 minutes, or until cooked to your liking.
  9. Using tongs, add the pasta staight from the pot into the frying pan, with just a little pasta water. Add the lemon zest and parsley. Season again, add lemon juice to taste and stir until combined. Add some of the pasta cooking water if it starts to become dry.
  10. Serve on warmed plates with an extra drizzle of olive oil and a wedge of lemon.

Tip: Cooking time varies depending on how long the pasta has dried.
Optional: You can swap out the spinach for parsley or rocket.