Orecchiette. Little ears of pasta. A speciality of the Puglia region of Southern Italy. Small and circular. Their little indentations perfectly suited to capturing a chunky sauce.

Having just returned from the fish markets with some beautifully fresh prawns I’m craving seafood pasta. Something quick, easy and delicious. Simple and straightforward. I’m in no mood to muck about. I slice my prawns into bite size chunks. To complement the orecchiette. Sauté in a smoking hot pan. Then dress generously with  lemon, olive oil, chilli, garlic and parsley. Dinner in a flash.

Orecchiette with Sautéed Prawns, Lemon, Chilli and Garlic

Serves 4

400 g orecchiette pasta
24 raw king prawns, peeled, cleaned and chopped
2 large red chillies, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
zest of 2 lemons, finely grated
150 ml olive oil
juice of 2 lemons
1 bunch flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
sea salt flakes and freshly ground pepper

COOK orecchiette pasta in plenty of salted, boiling water according to the instructions on the packet.
HEAT a heavy based pan until smoking. Add 50 ml of the olive oil.
ADD prawns and quickly sauté until golden. Season with salt and pepper.
ADD lemon zest, chilli and garlic. Sauté for a minute or so until fragrant.
DEGLAZE pan with lemon juice and the remaining oil.
STIR through chopped parsley.
TOSS with cooked orecchiette pasta