Pasta with Prawns in Creamy Garlic Sauce

Just because I’m allergic to crustaceans doesn’t mean the rest of my family can’t enjoy them, right? My daughter Sam was making faces and saying, “Pasta again?” when she saw me cooking this pasta dish with prawns in creamy garlic sauce. But the moment she started eating, she forgot that she had been complaining just a few minutes earlier.

I cooked a second pasta dish with clams and red wine for myself, but that’s for another entry. The more relevant thing to say at this point is how simple the recipe for this prawn and pasta dish is. Even a kitchen greenhorn can’t manage to mess this up.

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain, douse with cold water, drain again and set aside. While the pasta cooks, prepare the prawns. Remove the heads, peel off the shell and tail. Make an incision along the back and remove the black vein that runs across the length of the prawn. If you wish, you can cut each prawn in half lengthwise.

Crush the garlic, remove the skins then finely chop. Roughly chop the parsley. Heat the butter in a large saucepan. Add the garlic and cook until lightly browned. Pour in the cream, lower the heat, and bring to a simmering (not boiling) point. Add the prawns and simmer for about 3 minutes. Add the parsley and grated cheese. Stir until the cheese melts. Season with salt and pepper. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss to coat the noodles well. Transfer to a serving platter and serve at once.