Hasta La Pasta Baby! - Linguine With Prawns, Courgette, Fennel and Tomatoes

Sunday is usually a day for a traditional Sunday roast with all the delicious trimmings but the truth is, after feeling a bit rough round the edges the day before (see my previous post), I have succumbed to the temptation of first making a full English and then later on, decided that I really ought to treat myself to a roast dinner , a simple roast chicken. It was delicious and very enjoyable thank you very much. Now this presented a problem for me, do I have another roast dinner, which will make it two days in a roll ( I was very nearly tempted to) or do I cook something else, something just as comforting and hearty enough for a lazy Sunday lunch? 

So eventually, I settled for a pasta dish. There's always something quite magical about swirling long strands of al dente pasta, coating it with rich tomato sauce. It brings a great sense of comfort and that was exactly what I needed on a Sunday afternoon. With the lonely fennel bulb that's been sitting quietly at the bottom of my fridge and a courgette (or zucchini), along with some sweet juicy prawns, the humble tomato sauce is immediately transformed into something much more substantial and luxurious.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

400g linguine
16 raw prawns, shelled and deveined
1 medium courgette, half lengthwise and sliced into 5mm thick discs
1 fennel bulb, cut into 5mm thick slices
2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
400g chopped tomatoes
a small handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute over medium heat, taking care not to burn it. Add the tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes before adding the courgette and fennel. Cook slowly for 12-14 minutes, until the vegetables are soften. Add the prawns and cook for another 2-3 minutes until cook through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Cook the linguine according to the instructions on the packet, until al dente. Drain and add to the sauce, along with the chopped parsley and toss to mix thoroughly. 

Serves immediately.