Spaghetti with crab, prawns and roast tomatoes recipe

It’s hard to shift notions about food that you acquire as a child. Despite living on the coast, my family regarded prawns and crab as a big treat. But while they’re not cheap, you really can stretch them out to make delicious everyday dishes.

Timings

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

Serves 

4

Ingredients

• 300g raw king prawns, peeled
• 450g cherry tomatoes
• 2½ tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 280g spaghetti
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• a good squeeze of lemon, plus the zest of 1 unwaxed lemon, removed with a zester
• 150g white crabmeat
• 1½ tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas mark 6.
2. Lay the prawns on a double layer of kitchen paper and pat them dry.
3. Put the cherry tomatoes into a roasting tin large enough to hold them in a single layer and toss in some seasoning and 1½ tbsp oil. Roast for 10 minutes.
4. Cook the pasta in a big pot of boiling, salted water.
5. Meanwhile, add the garlic to the tomatoes, tossing it around in the juices, and return to the oven for 5-10 minutes.
6. The tomatoes should be shrunken and slightly caramelised in places; the garlic should be golden.
7. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan and sauté the prawns until they turn pink, seasoning and adding lemon juice. Toss in the crab and heat through.
8. Drain the pasta, return to the pan and add the seafood and the tomatoes, with all the juices from both.
9. Toss with the parsley and lemon zest, check for seasoning and serve.