Ingredients

• 10oz - 300g short pasta
• 10-12 prawns (shrimps)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp whole Black Peppercorns (you can use half if too peppery)
• 1 lemon
• 2 cups washed baby spinach leaves
• 1 cup of dry white wine
• 5 tbsp – 75g butter
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and Pepper

Steps

• Step 1

  Place a pot of water for your pasta on high heat.  Once the water boils, season with salt.  Add your pasta.  Cook it al dente.

• Step 2

  Clean and devein the prawns (shrimps) remove tails if any and split them using a knife.

• Step 3

  Place pepper corns in a pan on high heat.  Toast a about 1 or 2 minutes or until you smell the aromas (do not burn or smoke them) then transfer to a mortar and pestle or similar and crush to a medium coarse grind (or just use a pepper grinder). Set aside.

• Step 4

  Using a vegetable peeler, peel the zest off the lemon.  Cut the zest into long thin Julienne cuts. Juice the peeled lemon and set aside.

• Step 5

  Slice the spinach leaves into a Julienne cut, or simply shred for speed. Set aside.

• Step 6

  Wipe the same frying pan and return to high heat.

  Add olive oil and sear the prawns in the hot oil. Flip prawns over.

• Step 7

  Deglaze with white wine.  Add the garlic, minced or finely chopped.  Add the zest of one lemon and half the lemon juice. Add the toasted crushed pepper then season with salt.

• Step 8

  Add the butter to the sauce and mix well.  Add a little of the pasta water to thin out the sauce if necessary.

• Step 9

  Drain the pasta then add to the sauce.  Add the spinach, mix well and serve immediately.

Little Tips

For a perfect meal, avoid overcooking the shrimp (prawns) as they will be rubbery.  If you find it's taking too long to get your ingredients in the pan, remove the prawns once seared, set aside and re-add them later with your pasta.  Then reheat 30 seconds.