Fresh Tagliatelle with Prawns & Courgette

Fresh pasta requires a sauce that does it justice. A few selected ingredients that marry well together and go to envelope the silky strands of tagliatelle that you have rolled out with such care a few hours before. I do love the combination of prawns and courgette and use it regularly in my recipes (see king prawns in a prosecco and cream sauce): here, I have grated the courgette to give a creamy texture to the sauce and create a nice contrast with the juicy chunks of prawns. The pink/green/pale yellow colour scheme is a visual feast, too.

INGREDIENTS (for two people as a main or four people as a starter)

• 200 gr of fresh tagliatelle (if you want to make your own, the recipe can be found here)
• 16 raw king prawns (heads, shell and tail off), cut in chunks. If you are using frozen prawns, defrost them first
• 2 medium courgettes
• 1 clove of garlic
• The zest of one lemon
• A splash of double cream
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Heat about two tablespoons of olive oil in a non-stick, large frying pan. Cut off the ends from the courgettes, then grate them using a large hole cheese grater. Finely dice the garlic clove, then add it to the pan together with the grated courgette and let it cook for about 5 minutes at medium heat, stirring frequently, or until the courgette is soft and translucent, but still retains a bit of a bite. Next, add the king prawns, stir them into the courgettes and let them cook until they turn pink (it should only take two/three minutes). Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cook your fresh tagliatelle in plenty of salted boiling water for about 4-5 minutes, then drain them (reserving a little cooking water) and add them to the pan with the sauce. Sautée the pasta with the sauce, adding a ladleful of cooking water to bind the two elements together, then a splash of double cream and finally the lemon zest. Serve immediately.