Garlic King Prawn Linguine with Chilli & Lemon

Ingredients

• Prawns
• 400g king prawns (raw, peeled) +
  Healthier choice

  Choose raw, shell-off king prawns — ideally wild-caught or ASC-certified farmed. Raw prawns cook better than pre-cooked and develop better flavour in the pan.

  ✕ Avoid: pre-cooked prawns (rubbery texture), prawns in brine with preservatives (sodium metabisulphite is common).
• 2 tbsp olive oil +
  Healthier choice

  Choose extra virgin olive oil, cold-pressed. EVOO retains polyphenols and antioxidants lost in refined oils. Quality EVOO is stable at oven temperatures up to 240°C — the low smoke point myth has been debunked by peer-reviewed research.

  Look for: a harvest date within 12–18 months, single-origin, and dark glass packaging.

  Best pick: Greek Koroneiki, Spanish Picual, or Italian Coratina — all high in polyphenols.

  ✕ Avoid: "light" olive oil (refined), "olive oil blend" (seed oil mix), clear plastic bottles, and all vegetable/seed oils.
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 red chilli, finely sliced +
  Healthier choice

  Fresh chilli is best. Remove seeds for less heat, keep them in for more. Dried chilli flakes are an acceptable substitute — use ½ tsp per fresh chilli.

• 1 lemon, juiced and zested
• Salt and black pepper, to taste +
  Healthier choice

  Salt: Plain table salt is often the cleanest option. Himalayan salt contains heavy metals; sea salt contains microplastics. The trace minerals in "premium" salts are nutritionally meaningless. UK: most table salt is pure with no anti-caking agents. US: look for brands without sodium aluminosilicate.

  Pepper: Use whole peppercorns in a grinder. Pre-ground loses piperine rapidly. Tellicherry peppercorns have higher piperine and better flavour.

  Best pick: Additive-free table salt + whole Tellicherry peppercorns in a grinder.
• Fresh parsley, chopped
• Vegetables
• 200g cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 handfuls of rocket
• Carbs
• 320g linguine (dry weight) +
  Healthier choice

  Choose a good quality dried pasta made from 100% durum wheat semolina. Bronze-die cut pasta has a rougher texture that holds sauces better. Italian-made pastas generally have stricter quality standards.

  ✕ Avoid: "fresh" supermarket pasta (often contains preservatives and sometimes egg powder), and cheap pasta made with soft wheat flour.

Method

1. Cook the linguine in a large pot of salted boiling water according to pack instructions. Reserve a mugful of pasta water before draining.

   💡 Pasta water is liquid gold — the starch helps create a silky sauce.
2. While the pasta cooks, heat 1½ tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the prawns, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 2 minutes per side until pink and curled. Remove and set aside.

3. Reduce heat to medium. Add half a tablespoon of olive oil, the sliced garlic and chilli. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant — don't let the garlic brown.

4. Add the halved cherry tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes until they start to soften. Add the lemon juice and zest.

5. Add the drained linguine, prawns, and a splash of reserved pasta water. Toss everything together over the heat for 1 minute. Finish with rocket and parsley, toss once more, and serve immediately.

Nutrition  per serving