Homemade Aglio e Olio with Prawns

Once in while, you might see some recipes here when I actually cook at home. I don't create recipes, I simply adapt ones that I find on other blogs, websites and from my cookbook collection.  

Aglio e Olio with Prawns - By The Canadian Living Test Kitchen  

Serves: 2  

Ingredients 

2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil  

3 cloves garlic, minced  

1/2 teaspoon salt  

1 teaspoon hot pepper flakes  

1 pound large prawns (16-20 ct/lb), peeled and deveined  

6-8 ounces pasta  

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley  

2 tablespoon shredded parmesan

Directions 

1. Make pasta, drain and reserved a cup of pasta water. (I'm going to assume you know how to do this, don't prove me wrong.) 
2. In a large skillet, heat oil over low heat; cook garlic, salt and hot pepper flakes, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes or until garlic is light golden but do not let it get brown. 
3. Increase heat to medium-high. Add prawns to skillet; stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes or until lightly pink and opaque. Sprinkle in parsley and toss.
4. Add drained pasta to skillet, along with a cup of the reserved pasta water. Toss until water is almost absorbed and dish onto bowls.
5. Sprinkle with parmesan shreds and serve. 

The very top photo is my second attempt. This one here is my first attempt and the prawns didn't get as good a colour as I wanted but the taste was there. Since I made a small portion to test, I made another batch a few days later for the top photo. The second time, I let the prawns fry a bit longer before I added the pasta the second time. And I didn't have parsley either time so just subbed with green onions for colour and freshness. 

What I like about this dish is that you can use any pasta you want, long or short. The sauce is light, not creamy or tomato-y with just a touch of heat. And of course, if you want to substitute the prawns with another protein (chicken would be great) or remove it altogether, you can do that too!

Let me know if you give it a try and your thoughts!