Bucatini alla Gamberoni is my own variation of the ‘prawn linguine’ dish found in many Italian restaurants. It is a very rustic dish, relying on few ingredients and big bold flavours.
If you choose to use uncooked prawns I’d add them to the pan when you add the cherry tomatoes as they don’t take too long to cook (around 3-4 mins on high heat).
Ingredients
(Serves 3-4)
- 400g of Bucatini pasta (Linguine or spaghetti if you do not have any)
- Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- Three handfuls of cherry tomatoes (the best you can find)
- Two cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
- Half a teaspoon of dried chili flakes
- Two tablespoons of capers
- 200g of cooked king prawns
- A tablespoon of tomato puree
- 100ml dry white wine (Pinot grigio would be best) (This ingredient is optional, I prefer it without personally)
- Two handfuls of fresh basil
- Salt and Pepper
- Lemon zest (to garnish)
- A knob of unsalted butter
Method
- Firstly, cook the pasta in salted boiling water until al dente. This will take 8-10 mins for Bucatini.
- Meanwhile, to create the sauce, add EVOO to a pan on medium heat. Add the capers and garlic and cook for a minute, paying attention not to brown the garlic. Then add the dried chili and cherry tomatoes.
- Turn the heat up, (add the wine and let it bubble for a few minutes if you are adding it), and add a tablespoon of pasta water or two. Adding starchy pasta water helps combine the sauce together and will enable the sauce to stick to the pasta better.
- Then add the tomato purée, and stir until it combines with the sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Add more pasta water to increase the amount of sauce. Then add a knob of butter to make the sauce extra silky. Bring to the boil and simmer until the Bucatini is cooked.
- When your pasta is ready, tear in the fresh basil and add the cooked prawns and stir. Drain the pasta and add to the sauce. The sauce should be slightly thin, so it can soak into the pasta, so add a little more pasta water if necessary.
- Garnish with a little lemon zest and a drizzle of EVOO.
- Serve and Enjoy!!
