Pinot King Prawn Pasta

Now here's my kind of supper. 

Shrimple, but effective.

Yep. SHE'S BAAAAACK!!!

So in a matter of weeks, garden furniture up and down the country will be packed into sheds, locked up and forgotten about until next year.

We'll resume our places around the dinner table, or nestle into sofas with plates on laps, and forget all about lazy BBQs as we slurp on a chicken casserole. 

Now I for one found relaxation in those outdoors suppers.

The fresh air (and let's face it, separation from an earlier massacred kitchen) unwind me, and this is the dish I've chosen to enjoy whilst the curtains to a summer full of living are finally drawn.

Here's what you'll need:

Large handful of linguine. I use the gluten free dried stuff but fresh works just fine.

1 red chilli, roughly chopped

3 cloves of garlic, peeled

1 red onion, finely diced

Handful of mixed small tomatoes

1 large glass white wine

500g cooked and peeled king prawns

Handful fresh parsley, chopped

1 lemon

Cook your pasta in salted boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes until al dente. 

Whilst it's boiling, chop your chilli and garlic into chunks

Pop them in a food processor (if you don't have one just chop as small as you can)

And blitz until you're left with something like this:

Heat a pan with a little olive oil and give you pasta a twirl

And throw in the onion, chilli and garlic

Fry until softened, season and pulse your tomatoes

You don't want them liquidized, so go easy here. Pour them into the pan

By now your pasta should be ready, so drain, rinse off and put to one side

Go back to your sauce, glugging in the wine as you go

Drop in your prawns

Squeeze in the juice of a lemon and top with a sprinkling of chopped parsley

Season, add your pasta, stir it all together and leave it to bubble whilst you lay the table.

Light a candle, pull up a chair and soak in the evening.

Bye bye for now, al fresco suppers. Until next year...

Tomato, Halloumi & Basil Pasta Bowl

Last night I knocked up an absolute corker of an al fresco supper.

Some evenings are designed for sitting outside with a glass of something icy, plotting the next adventure and soaking up the last of the rays. This just so happened to be one of those deliciously peaceful evenings.

A trip to the supermarket was at the very bottom of my to-do list, much to my stomach's disapproval, but after a quick rummage around the kitchen cupboards, I had everything I needed.

Fresh, zingy and packed to the rafters with flavour, this is one of my all time favourite pasta dishes.

The fact that it takes around twelve minutes from pan to plate is a huge plus, but what I like more than anything about this dish, is the salty/sweet combination the cheese and tomato get going on.

It quite literally makes me drool.

To make enough for two hungry bellies, you're going to need:

Two handfuls of dried spaghetti
One big handful of fresh basil
One can of cherry tomatoes
One can of chopped tomatoes
A big chunk of fresh halloumi
A glug of balsamic vinegar
A sprinkle of chilli flakes
A clove of garlic
1 tablespoon sugar
Olive oil



Quick as you can, get your pasta cooking. Someone once told me that pasta should be cooked in water as salty as the Mediterranean Sea. Someone else once told me to always add a glug of olive oil to the water to keep the strands from sticking together. I can't say it's gospel, but it's always worked for me.

Whilst the pasta's bubbling away, make your sauce. Drizzle your olive oil over a hot pan and crush in your garlic. After a minute or so, empty in your tomatoes and give it a good stir. Season to taste and adjust the flavours according to your taste buddy's.

It's no secret that tinned toms can be a little on the bitter side, so add a tablespoon of sugar to mellow things out, your balsamic vinegar and chilli flakes. Finely chop about 3/4s of the fresh basil and in the pan it goes.

Keep the remainder to one side for scattering later.

Whilst your sauce gently simmers, grab a griddle pan and chop your cheese into chunky slices. When the pan's hot enough, lay them down until golden and scarred on each side. This should only take a minute or two.

Drain off the pasta, making sure to rinse with hot water over the sink (this removes excess starch and stops it from becoming clumpy) and submerge it into your tomato sauce, coating it nice and evenly.

Plate up, pop your cooked cheese on top and scatter over the last of the basil.

I served mine with a fresh green salad but garlic and rosemary bread would take this dinner to places I've never even heard of.

Who needs Sainsbury's, anyway?