My husband Angus makes an incredible shrimp spaghetti using Turkish red pepper flakes and he kindly let me share his wonderful and easy to prepare recipe with you. He infuses the smoky Turkish red pepper flakes in olive oil, which adds an amazing flavor to the shrimps. I always, always look forward to his shrimp spaghetti!
If you can’t get hold of Turkish red pepper flakes (preferably Aleppo), substitute with hot chili flakes. Make it as fiery as you like!
Serves 2 generously
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
280 gr / 10 ounce spaghetti
225 gr / 1/2 lb raw king prawns, shelled
4-5 tablespoons olive oil
1 heaped teaspoon of Turkish red pepper flakes
Thinly shaved Pecorino Romano to serve
Cook the spaghetti in plenty of lightly salted boiling water until a minute before it is al dente (please refer to the cooking time on the pasta’s packaging). Drain the water and set aside the pasta in the colander.
Heat the olive oil in the pasta pan on a medium heat and add the red pepper flakes. Stir gently and let the red pepper flakes infuse to the olive oil for about 30 seconds (avoid cooking longer as the red pepper flakes go black and can burn quickly). Add the shrimps and stir fry for about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat, combine the cooked spaghetti with the shrimps and mix well for a minute. Make sure all the spaghetti is well coated with the olive oil infused red pepper flakes and the shrimp.
Transfer the pasta to a warmed serving bowl and serve with shaved Pecorino Romano cheese over the top. A green leafy salad with a simple lemon dressing goes very well with this dish.
