Introduction
This is one of those recipes you’ll be glad you’ve got up your sleeve. A proper 20-minute dinner that brings colour, flavour and a solid hit of protein to the table without wrecking the kitchen. It’s light but satisfying, making it a brilliant option 3–4 hours before training or competition.
Ingredients (Serves 2-3)
- 400g fresh pasta
- 200–250g fresh uncooked prawns (peeled)
- 1 pepper
- Spray oil or 1 tsp olive oil
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons of yogurt of choice
- 1 teaspoon of hummus or pesto
- Roughly 400-500ml hot water (from the kettle)
- Small handful frozen peas
- Lemon
- Salt & black pepper
- A pinch of smoked paprika
- Optional: pine nuts
Steps
1. Get a large pan on a medium-high heat (about 4/5). Add a spray/teaspoon of oil. Stick the kettle on too, you’ll need it.
2. Get your pepper and stand it up with the stalk facing the ceiling. Slice down the four sides of the pepper from the stalk, cutting around the core and seeds. Lay the 4 sides flat on the chopping board and slice into roughly ½ cm strips.
3. Throw the pepper strips into the hot pan along with the prawns. Keep the heat high and keep the peppers and prawns moving every 60 seconds or so, careful not to burn the prawns. If anything starts sticking, a tiny squeeze of lemon and a bit of the scrap from the bottom of the pan will deglaze it, lifting all those golden bits into the sauce, much like a stock. Cook until the prawns go from translucent pink to opaque pale white with a light golden edge. That’s your cue.
4. In a bowl:
- Crack in 2 eggs and beat well.
- Add a pinch of salt.
- Stir in 2 tbsp yogurt and 1 tsp hummus or pesto.
- Add a pinch of black pepper and nutmeg (less than ¼ tsp each).
- Add another pinch of salt again.
Now, add 50–100ml of boiling water to the egg mixture and whisk well. This tempers the eggs so they turn silky later instead of scrambling when they hit the heat of the pan.
5. Add the 400g fresh pasta straight into the pan with the prawns and peppers. Pour in enough boiling water to come about halfway up the pasta.
Give the bottom of the pan a scrape again lift all those golden bits. Now stick a lid on to cover the pan and bring to a boil. Cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring every minute so everything cooks evenly, you will still have just a small bit of water left in the pan.
6. Once the pasta is cooked to about 90%, get it off the heat and just let it settle down for a minute. Once it’s settled, pour the egg mixture straight in and start moving it around the pan to coat the pasta. Be gentle here, fold it like a cake mixture. The residual heat here will turn the egg mixture into a light, creamy sauce that coats everything.
7. Finally, add a handful of frozen peas right at the end and fold through, they’ll cook instantly in the heat.
8. Optional to finish: Based on what you like, add a pinch of black pepper, paprika, a good squeeze of lemon and some pine nuts.
