Aglio Olio with Shrimps

Trying out Asian, especially Malay or Indian dishes leaves me quaking with fear because the list of ingredients needed tends to circle half the globe. For this reason, I find some Western dishes a lot less intimidating.

A conversation with a friend highlighted to me that aglio olio might be manageable for a failed chef like me. Something about the name noobcook resonated with me, and so I followed her prawn aglio olio recipe. Hers is a site I’ll come to again and again, both because she writes with such humility, but clarity as well, and that helps wet-behind-the-ears cooks like myself.

Aglio Olio with Shrimps

2 servings of wholemeal pasta (about 180g spaghetti)
3 tbsp good quality olive oil
A knob of butter
10-12 prawns/ shrimps
10 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced or chopped
1/2 chilli padi if eating with B, 2 otherwise
A handful of finely chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

1. Fill a pot with water and about 1 tbsp sea salt. Boil pasta as per cooking instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
2. Remove the shells and veins from the prawns. Try not to be pierced by the sharp prawn shells near the tails. The prawns are angry they were caught and can attack from the grave.
3. Add the prawns heads and shells to a small pot with just enough water to cover them (about 150ml), bring to a simmer for about 3-5 minutes to make prawn stock. Be sure to squeeze as much stock as possible from the prawn heads.
4. Strain the stock and set aside. Because I don't have a strainer, I use a coffee filter and strain overnight, or use existing stock in the freezer, thawed.
5. Heat the butter in a sauce pan. Cook the prawns on both sides and set aside.
6. Add olive oil to the sauce pan with the prawn juices and browned bits. When the oil is heated, add garlic and chilli padi. Saute till the garlic turns light brown.
7. Turn off the stove. The garlic will turn a lovely golden brown as it cooks in the still-hot oil.
8. Add cooked pasta, cooked prawns, about 2 tbsp of prawn stock, chopped parsley to the garlic & oil mixture. Stir to coat all the ingredients evenly. Season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

What would The Failed Chef do next time?

• I've done it plain and with prawns, depending on whether prawns are on sale, so both works.
• Sometimes the garlic is too crunchy and I suppose I should douse them with the prawn stock next time or turn off the flame earlier.
• I’ve tried chopping the garlic as well as slicing them, and I think next time, I’ll have both in the pasta.
• I have tried using wholemeal pasta (3 times more fibre, the packaging proudly proclaims!), regular spaghetti and angel hair spaghetti but I think I like the latter the best. Unless I am having a delicate situation that calls for 3 times more fibre. Though not sure if pasta is my go-to food for fibre if I'm in that situation in any case.