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

Ingredients:

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

Method:

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 of 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.

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