The LINGUINE WITH ZUCCHINI PESTO AND PRAWNS are a delectable first course combining land and sea, perfect to open a special meal on holidays when you don’t want to spend too much time cooking but still wish to bring something delicious to the table. It’s an easy dish to make, although it does require a few small but decisive steps to turn out truly perfect.
What makes this pasta special is the particular intensity of flavors and aromas released by the sauce. This comes from the zucchini pesto, enriched with almonds and fresh basil, and especially from the prawn bisque, which elevates the crustacean flavor and lends an extraordinary sea aroma. The prawns, briefly seared in the pan, provide a tender, meaty component that wonderfully completes the sauce and makes this rich first course pleasing both to the palate and to the eye.
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer and Autumn
Ingredients
- 14 oz linguine
- 18 oz large prawns
- 1 onion
- Half glass white wine
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- 6 cherry tomatoes
- 1 bunch parsley
- 3 cups water
- 2 zucchini (large)
- 8 almonds
- 10 leaves basil
- to taste salt
- Half glass extra virgin olive oil
YOU WILL NEED FOR THE LINGUINE WITH ZUCCHINI PESTO AND PRAWNS
- 2 Pots
- 1 Frying Pan
- 1 Colander
- 1 Blender
Preparation of Linguine with Zucchini Pesto and Prawns
The preparation of the LINGUINE WITH ZUCCHINI PESTO AND PRAWNS is very easy and the result will make you lick your lips.
Clean the prawns by removing the shell, head, legs and the digestive tract. Peel the onion, clean and wash the cherry tomatoes, then cut them in half. Pour a drizzle of oil into a saucepan and sauté the onion and cherry tomatoes over high heat for 1 minute.
Add the prawn heads and shells and the washed, roughly chopped parsley to the soffritto. Sauté for 2 minutes, pressing the prawn heads to release all their juices. Add the white wine and let it evaporate over high heat.
When the alcohol has completely evaporated, add enough water to fully cover the shells and heads. Cover with a lid and cook over low heat for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, strain the prawn bisque through a fine-mesh strainer.
Wash the zucchini, dry them and trim the ends. Cut them in half, remove the inner seedy part and then grate them into thin strips. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt, mix and let rest for 15 minutes.
Toast the unpeeled almonds in a pan for 1 minute and let them cool.
In the blender jar place the zucchini, the cooled almonds, the Parmesan, the basil leaves, a pinch of salt and the olive oil. Pulse in short bursts so as not to overheat the ingredients. Once you have a homogeneous cream that is not too smooth, taste and adjust the salt if needed.
Place the bisque in a large pan, add the prawns roughly chopped (leave a few whole for decoration), and let cook for 5 minutes.
Bring plenty of water to a boil, salt it and cook the linguine. Drain them still al dente and add them to the pan with the sauce. Add two ladles of pasta water rich in starch and finish cooking.
With the heat off, add the zucchini pesto and toss to combine.
Serve the linguine with zucchini pesto and prawns and garnish with the whole prawns quickly sautéed in a little oil and a few basil leaves.
