This is a very simple dish, but it also happens to be completely delicious. I tried something similar when it was offered as a special at an Italian restaurant near me (shout-out to De Luca, the best Italian restaurant in Cambridge!) and had to get it right at home. I use a wok for the sauce because I’m used to tossing sauced noodles in it, but a frying pan should work equally well.

Serves 2 as a main

Ingredients

• 70g butter
• 1 courgette, 5mm diced
• 1 red chilli, deseeded to taste, 5mm diced
• 1 red pepper, 5mm diced
• 250g shelled, deveined, raw prawns
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 50ml white wine
• 250g fresh tagliatelle
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 bunch parsley, leaves picked and coarsely chopped

Method

1. Melt 10g butter in pan over high heat then add courgette, chilli and red pepper for about 1 minute, then add the garlic, removing when the garlic is fragrant and vegetables are slightly softened
2. In another 10g butter, sear prawns over high heat, flipping or tossing until pink through (about 3 minutes), then remove
3. Deglaze with white wine, scraping any fond off bottom of pan
4. Meanwhile, cook pasta in salted boiling water until just set with a pronounced bite (about 2 mins), then drain, reserving pasta water
5. Return vegetables and prawns to pan over high heat, add pasta, lemon juice, remaining butter and a ladle of pasta water, then stir vigorously until emulsified
6. Stir in most of the parsley and serve, then top with more parsley to garnish