Prawn, chilli and lemon tagliatelle

Method

1. Remove the heads and shells from the prawns, leaving the tails intact. Butterfly the prawns by running a small, sharp knife down the middle of the back, from head to tail, about a third of the way through the prawn. Remove the dark line with the tip of the knife. Cut a bit deeper to open them out fully if they’re large.
2. Put the pasta in a pan of boiling, well salted water. Give it a stir after 2 minutes. While it’s cooking, heat a large frying pan with a glug of the oil. When really hot, add the prawns in a single layer (don’t crowd them), season well and cook for 2 minutes without turning until they’re about two thirds pink. Flip them over, then add the rest of the oil, the chilli, garlic, and the lemon zest and juice to the pan. Cook for 2 minutes, shaking constantly to keep coating the prawns. As soon as the prawns are cooked, remove from the heat.
3. Drain the pasta and tip into the prawn pan, tossing everything so the pasta is completely coated in the lemony oil. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then divide among plates and scatter over the parsley. Serve with a grind of black pepper.
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