The Makeshift Chef: One-pot creamy tomato, king prawn and chorizo spaghetti recipe

A pot of tomatoes and pasta with basil strewn across the top

This simple mid-week pasta dish reduces the cleaning up without compromising flavour. A very quick prep time means you can put your feet up and get something else done while the dish bubbles away in the oven. It's my go to mid week meal and can easily be adapted to different proteins and vegetables that are in your fridge!

Creamy tomato, king prawn and chorizo spaghetti

Ingredients (Metric)

Makes 2 portions

250 grams of cherry tomatoes
190 grams of pasta
170 grams of raw peeled king prawns
100 grams of chorizo
50 grams of cream cheese
55 grams of tomato paste
1/2 a lemon
1/2 an onion
3 garlic cloves
10 grams of fresh basil
1/2 tsp of dried mixed herbs

You'll also need:

600 ml of boiling water, salt, pepper, olive oil

Instructions

This recipe was done in an oven and hob safe casserole dish but if you don't have one start in a large pan and transfer to an oven-proof dish and cover with foil.

(Scroll to the end for instructions with pictures)

Preheat the oven to 220 degrees Celsius or 200 degrees with fan
Boil 600 ml of water and place an oven-safe dish or pan on the hob and heat a drizzle of olive oil
Peel and finely chop your onion and garlic
Separate the stalks and leaves of the basil. Put the leaves to one side and chop the basil stalks finely
Chop the cherry tomatoes in half
Dice the chorizo
Once the olive oil has heated, add the onions and a sprinkle of salt and cook till softened
Add the chopped garlic and basil stalks and cook for 1 min or until fragrant
Add the chorizo and cook until crispy (approx. 3 mins)
Add the halved cherry tomatoes and dried herbs to the pan
Then add the tomato purée and give everything a good stir
Finally, add in the boiling water and spaghetti (break the spaghetti in half if too long for the pot) with cracked black pepper and 3 tsp of salt
Bring to the boil and then place in the preheated oven (with a lid or foil) for 20-25 mins, mixing half way through and adding more water if dry
While the pasta is in the oven, chop the lemon into quarters and then relax
After 25 mins have gone, mix in the king prawns and cream cheese and return to the oven for 5 mins
Once the prawns have cooked through, remove from the oven, add a squeeze of lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste, and tear over the basil leaves
Serve with a wedge of lemon

Instructions with pictures

Steps 1 - 6

Preheat the oven (200 degrees Celsius or 220 without fan), heat a drizzle of oil in a pan and prepare the ingredients. Chop the cherry tomatoes in half, dice the onion, garlic and chorizo and separate the basil stalks from the leaves.

Steps 7 - 9

Sweat the onions, garlic and basil stalks till soft, then add the diced chorizo and cook until crispy and releasing its oils. Then add the dried herbs.

Steps 10 - 14

Add the cherry tomatoes and tomato purée and give a good mix. Then add 600 ml of boiling water, and the pasta. Then cook on a high heat till a rolling boil then place in the oven (with a lid or foil) for 25 mins.

Steps 15 - 17

After 25 mins add the raw prawns and cream cheese and place the pan back in the oven for 5 mins. Once the prawns are cooked, remove from the oven - squeeze over some lemon juice and toss on the basil leaves and serve!