Cooking for a crowd can be challenging, but cooking just for yourself is no picnic either.
Most recipes are designed for four people, and quartering a recipe just seems a hassle, meagre and almost pointless – plus somehow in the conversion process, the taste even seems to change.
However, there are alone times when the urge hits for a really tasty lunch or dinner, even if it you cook it just for you. And if a good excuse is needed to crack the bottle of white you’ve been saving, this is it.
Giving your cooking a sense of occasion can do wonders for morale, while adding a candle to the table and using a crystal glass for the wine will take it to the next level – and don’t forget music.
Now what’s needed is an elegant recipe, one that delivers on bags of taste that belie its essential simplicity. No point sweating it; that’ll just fog up the crystal and ruin the mood.
The recipe below fits the fill nicely, so go on … get your self-pamper on.
PRAWNS WITH LINGUINE
INGREDIENTS:
Coarse salt and ground pepper
60 grams linguine (about a 2cm-wide handful)
1 tablespoon cold butter, cut into pieces
1 garlic clove, minced
Cayenne pepper to taste
1/3 cup dry white wine
125 grams large prawns, peeled and deveined
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Fresh parsley leaves, for garnish
DIRECTIONS:
In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente.
Meanwhile, in a small non-stick pan, melt half the butter over medium heat. Add garlic and pinch of cayenne; cook until fragrant – for about a minute.
Raise heat to medium-high; add wine. Cook until reduced by a third, about a minute.
Add prawns and season with salt and pepper; cook until opaque throughout – one-two minutes. Remove skillet from heat; swirl in lemon juice and remaining butter.
Add pasta and toss to combine. Serve, topped with parsley.
