This is a simple but tasty recipe which  I have been cooking for years, again another favourite of my old work colleagues. Adjust the chilli to taste, but this is simple and flavoursome.

• Serves 2
• 250g Linguine
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 12 large raw king prawns, butterflied with tail left in place
• 4 spring onions sliced into chunks, try to use a mix of the green and white parts
• 4 mini red chillies, left whole
• 1/4 tsp. chilli flakes
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 1/2 tbsp. red pesto
• 1 heaped tsp. paprika
• 1/2 a fish stock cube
• 14 baby plum tomatoes
• Sea salt and cracked black pepper
• Fresh basil leaves, Greek is great if you can get it
• Extra virgin olive oil for serving

• Cook the pasta to be al dente in salted water. Do not drain the water away, reserve this for later. Set aside.
• In a frying pan heat the olive oil and add the prawns, season with salt, and cook for around 2-3 minutes, turning halfway.  Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• Add the spring onions to the same pan, add more oil if needed, sauté for a few minutes before adding the chillies, chilli flakes, garlic, pesto and paprika. Stir and cook for a few more minutes.
• Keep stirring.  Crumble in the stock cube (I only use half as they are very salty, and we are using the pasta salted water)
• Add the tomatoes.
• Turn up the heat and splash in a 1/3 cup of the pasta water and stir, let this reduce a little and let the tomatoes soften, this will take only 2 minutes.
• Add the prawns back to the pan, with the linguine. Mix and incorporate the linguine with all the juices and turn off the heat.
• Sprinkle in the basil leaves, and lots of cracked black pepper, stir one more time.
• Serve with a very generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and some extra basil leaves.