Renato Balsadonna’s Pasta con Gamberi

Ingredients for 4 people:

Garlic x3 cloves.
Olive oil.
Fillet of Anchovies x5.
Pepperoncino.
Fresh cherry tomatoes 14/16, chopped.
Fresh flat leaf parsley, a very good handful.
Fresh prawns (unshelled) 200g.
Dry White wine for cooking, 1 glass.
Salt & pepper.
100g pasta per person preferably
Linguine, De Cecco.

Method.

Take a large deep pan for the pasta and fill it with water, add a small handful of rock salt if you have some. Bring to the boil and add the pasta. Cook the pasta for the exact time it says in the pack. Normally about 11/12 mins.

Meanwhile take a large sauté pan and poor in olive oil, enough to make a film of oil on the bottom of the pan. With the back of a wooden spoon press the pealed garlic cloves into the oil (I find this easier to do in the pan before I put the oil in otherwise it’s slips and slides!) until lightly browned, take care not to burn the oil or the garlic. When lightly browned take out the garlic take off the heat and add the anchovies and break up so they almost dissolve into the oil. It might spit a bit when adding anchovies so take care.
Put pan back on the heat and add the prawns and the White wine and stir, let the wine evaporate (the heat should be quite high for this).

Add the chopped cherry tomatoes and stir allow them to boil in order to make a little sauce.

Add a pinch of pepperoncino, enough to add a little flavour and depending on how hot you want it.

Add salt & pepper.

When pasta is ready remove immediately from the heat drain pasta in a colander, tip pasta onto prawn mixture and mix together. Stir in the fresh parsley leaves and serve immediately.