Faster pasta

Rev up your weeknight repertoire with our favourite fuss-free pasta meals.

- MICHELE CRANSTON

Test Kitchen tips

Bocconcini, which translates from Italian as “little mouthfuls”, are creamy balls of fresh mozzarella. Bocconcini has a short shelf life, so it must be kept under refrigeration in brine. To cut bocconcini into even slices, use a wire egg slicer – it’s much easier than using a knife.

Spaghettini with prawns

PREP + COOK TIME 35 MINUTES SERVES 4-6

750g uncooked king prawns, peeled, deveined

500g spaghettini

½ cup (125ml) extra virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, chopped finely

2 small red chillies, seeds and membranes

removed, chopped finely

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind

2 tablespoons lemon juice

finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, to serve

1 Shell and devein prawns, leaving tails intact. Butterfly prawns by cutting down the back of the prawn.

2 Bring a large saucepan of well-salted water to a rapid boil. Add pasta; cook until al dente. Drain, reserving ½ cup (125ml) of the cooking water.

3 Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large frypan. Add the prawns and cook for 1 minute, then turn and cook for a further 20 seconds or until just cooked through (you may need to do this in batches). Remove from pan and set aside.

4 Reduce heat to medium; heat remaining oil in pan. Add the garlic and chilli; cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until fragrant. Return the prawns to the pan with drained pasta, lemon rind, juice and parsley; toss to combine. Season with freshly ground black pepper and salt. Serve immediately.