'Poor' man's pasta

This is the ultimate easy pasta dish that packs a punch but not in your pocket. It's one of my favourites that I will always go back to because 9/10 times I'll have all the ingredients sitting in my fridge and cupboards. It is also a good recipe to use up bits of meat/seafood sitting around in the fridge or you can dress it up in to something a bit special. The main three ingredients are lemon, garlic and chilli but this time I added in prawns to make it more of an event. It will go nicely with bacon, chicken, mixed seafood or even some broken up sausages with the skins removed. Ready in about 15 minutes what's not to love? 

Garlic, chilli and lemon pasta

Serves 2

3-4 minced or crushed garlic (this is important so the flavour gets all over the pasta

1-2 fresh chillies with seeds (or without depending on tolerance to spice)(you can also use dried flaked chilli instead of fresh but don't go crazy as that stuff can be very spicy)

1 whole lemon, zest and juice

A healthy glug of olive oil (this is the base of your sauce so be generous) 

15-18 uncooked prawns or a meat/fish of your choosing (optional) 

Spaghetti for two people

1 small handful of chopped parsley

Start by getting the pasta cooking, boil some water and add plenty of salt, don't worry about using too much it will drain off. Add your pasta and then get a large frying pan on the heat.

Begin with a medium heat and add the oil, garlic, chilli and zest of the lemon saving the juice for later. Turn down the heat so you don't burn the garlic and slowly cook down. Keep stirring and if the garlic starts to catch then lower the heat. 

When the pasta is nearly cooked add your prawns and turn the heat up a little so they start to cook and go pink. Add a little salt and black pepper to taste. 

Drain the pasta but make sure you save some of the water it was cooked in. When you can see the prawns are cooked through then add the parsley and pasta to the frying pan with some of that cooking water. Keep stirring through until all the pasta is coated and the water and oil have thickened in to a sauce (the starch from the pasta will have done this for you and this is the secret to this dish.) Serve with a simple green salad.