Anjali's Food Kaleidoscope

Spaghetti with prawns in tangy fiery sauce

 Spaghetti with prawns in a tangy fiery sauce.....doesn’t the name make a statement of its own. I mean look at the name of the recipe again ” spaghetti with prawns in tangy fiery sauce”.

     Firstly we have spaghetti , the humble noble pasta which is delicious even if you just toss it with olive oil and herbs , but now we have a “Tangy and fiery “ sauce with prawns to go with it. Wow what a treat and trust me ….just follow the simple steps and you can make it too even if you have never tried it before. 

   I love the sight of the curled up prawns sitting snugly  in a flaming red ( depending on how red the tomatoes are ) sauce with a strong flavor of garlic and thyme to go along and the crispy fried garlic and bell pepper as a simple and delicious garnish.So  , here goes the recipe of "Spaghetti with prawns in tangy fiery sauce".

   Its not a glossy and heavy sauce , on the contrary its light and silky and the stir fried garlic and green bell pepper sprinkled on top make the dish just irresistible. The quantity is sufficient for four adults.

   Ingredients:

1.   500 grams spaghetti

2.   About 4 litres of water

3.   400 grams tomatoes

4.   300 grams or about one cup heaped of shelled and deveined prawns

5.   Two tablespoons crushed garlic

6.   A few flakes of sliced garlic for garnishing

7.   One large bell pepper diced

8.   One small onion chopped fine

9.   Salt and black pepper to taste

10.       Half a teaspoon of kashmiri red chilli powder for the spice and to enhance the red colour of the sauce

11.      One fourth cup of water

12.      Half a teaspoon of dried thyme

13.      5- 7 tablespoons of olive oil
14.  2-3 tablespoons of canned tomato puree

Method:

1.  Boil the water in a large pan and when it comes to a boil add about a teaspoon of salt followed by the spaghetti.

2.   Let cook on high flame for about 7-8 minutes and then drain in a colander and run cold water to stop the cooking process.

3.   Add a tablespoon of olive oil and toss the spaghetti gently with the hands and leave aside.

4.  Slit the skin of the tomatoes just at the tip and immerse in a pan of boiling water for five to ten minutes and then peel of the skin. Blend the tomatoes coarsely in a blender.

5.   Lets get along with the sauce. Take about two tablespoons of olive oil in a pan and stir fry the sliced garlic for a few seconds , but do not let them turn golden, just a hint of the golden colour is just fine.

6.   Remove with a slotted spoon and add the diced bell pepper and stir fry for about a minute , so that they are cooked but still crunchy. Remove the bell pepper and keep aside. They will be used for garnishing.

7.   In the same pan , add about 3- 5 tablespoons of olive oil and add the crushed garlic and stir fry for a few seconds and follow by the chopped onions.

8.  As soon as the onions turn translucent add the tomatoes and stir fry on medium flame till the sauce begins to thicken and leaves oil on the sides of the pan. Add the red chilli powder and two – three tablespoons of the canned tomato puree.

9.   Add a quarter cup of water and as soon as the sauce begins to boil tumble in the prawns and let them cook on medium flame for five to seven minutes.

10.      Season with salt  and pepper to taste and sprinkle half a teaspoon of thyme and turn the gas off.

11.      Take a generous helping of spaghetti , pour  the sauce and garnish with the flakes of garlic and green bell pepper. Enjoy the fruits / dish of your labour.