This sexy pasta dish is foolproof and, best of all, you can do all the prep in advance so you’re not running around at the last minute – there’s nothing less romantic than a flustered mess in the kitchen. Just remember, go easy on the garlic if you want the evening to last much longer than dinner. Jamie Oliver
Serves 2
150g dried linguine
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced
180g raw peeled king prawns (leave a few tails on)
125ml white wine
a handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
zest and juice of 1 lemon
200g baby spinach, roughly chopped
a few sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and chopped
a couple of handfuls of rocket
Cook the linguine in a large pan of salted boiling water according to packet instructions.
Meanwhile, add a few lugs of olive oil to a large frying pan on a medium heat, then add the garlic and chilli. As soon as the garlic begins to colour, add the prawns and sauté for 1 minute. Pour in the white wine, add the cherry tomatoes and season well, then simmer for a couple of minutes.
When the pasta is ready, scoop out and save a mug of the cooking water, then drain the pasta in a colander.
Add the pasta, lemon juice and spinach to the pan of prawns and toss together. Add a little of the reserved cooking water if the sauce is too thick.
Taste to check the seasoning, then serve each portion sprinkled with the lemon zest, parsley and rocket.
