Linguini with Prawns & Asparagus

I don’t really like Seafood Pasta’s. Mainly because I don’t like Tomato based sauces. But last night I knew I had to make Pasta with the prawns I had as we had rice the night before and we are having rice again tonight with the Bobotie I’m making. I spotted the Asparagus in the fridge and thought I’d pop those in too. This took literally 15 minutes. Ok, it took me 30 minutes to clean the prawns because I HATE the ‘Pink Prawns’ you get from supermarkets and Fishmongers. They never taste of anything and go completely rubbery after just 5 seconds in the pan. The amount of prawns I use is maybe a bit indulgent, but I figure that it’s not like I’m eating it every week so when I DO make it, I’d rather use loads of prawns. Oh and another thing, don’t even think of making this without the lemon and the garlic. Prawns should NEVER be eaten without lemon and garlic, be it grilled or in a sauce. Garlic and Prawns are soulmates!!

Serves 4-6 (Depending on how greedy you are)

500g Linguini
1.5kg Prawns, De-shelled and cleaned
100ml White wine
1 bunch of Asparagus, washed, trimmed and cut into +- 4cm pieces
500ml Cream
250ml Milk mixed with 2tbsn Cornflour
4 Garlic Cloves, Crushed
Juice of half a lemon
1/2 tsp Paprika
Salt & Black Pepper to taste
Grated Parmesan

• In a hot Pan/Wok, fry the prawns until they change colour (about 5 minutes).
• Add the Garlic and fry for another 2/3 minutes.
• Add the white wine and allow to reduce a little. Add the Asparagus and cook for 3-5 minutes.
• Pour in the Cream and the milk mix and add the lemon juice, paprika and seasoning.
• Cook until the asparagus is just softened and the sauce is thickened. Meanwhile, cook the Linguini until Al dente.
• Serve the Linguini topped with the sauce with grated parmesan. (I sprinkled mine with some chopped parsley and finely chopped chilli for extra bite but this is optional)