Believe it or not there are evenings cooking dinner is the very last thing I feel like doing.
Yes, I am a food blogger and I absolutely adore cooking but with two little cherubs of endless energy at home all day, every day I often don’t have the time, patience or sanity for cooking.
On these evenings I usually turn to my store cupboard staples to save the day, the kind of ingredients that need very little effort (and cooking time) to come together in a low key, easy to prepare simple supper.
Pesto, pasta and frozen prawns are my favourite go-to’s at the moment and its easy to see why. Pesto adds instant zest and herby flavour to whatever dish it nestles its way into, pasta is a hearty staple adored by all children and frozen prawns go from rock hard ice cubes to golden juicy morsels of deliciousness in less than 7 minutes.
Tonights supper married all three ingredients to create the most gorgeously fragrant spaghetti adorned with the simplest vege, oven roasted truss tomatoes and it was amazing.
You really must give this one a go.
In terms of baby led weaning this supper is perfection. The pesto sauce entices even the pickiest of eaters, while the spaghetti is a sensory sensation all kids love! And the golden juicy succulent prawns are a great way to introduce seafood to beginners!
To create your own pesto prawn spaghetti with oven roasted truss tomatoes simply…
Begin by preheating the oven to 200 degrees celsius (390 F) and place a large pot of water over high heat and bring to the boil.
Line a large oven tray with baking paper. Place tomatoes onto tray, drizzle with a little olive oil and bake for 15-20 minutes or until slightly charred. Set aside.
Meanwhile, place the spaghetti into the large pot of boiling water and cook according to packet instructions. Reserve a mug of cooking water before draining the pasta. Set aside.
Meanwhile, heat a nonstick frypan to high heat, add a drizzle of olive oil and prawns and cook until golden and cooked through (2-3 minutes if fresh or 5-7 minutes if frozen). Add the pesto and stir to combine.
Add the cooked spaghetti, reserved cooking water (if required) and a big handful of chopped basil and parsley. Stir to combine.
Pour the pesto covered spaghetti and prawns into a family sized serving platter. Top with roasted truss tomatoes, a grating of parmesan and extra basil leaves. When serving this supper to your little one, be sure to pick the truss tomatoes off the stems. Tomatoes roasted like this taste so sweet and juicy – your bub will love them!
pesto prawn spaghetti with oven roasted truss tomatoes
INGREDIENTS
16 cherry sized truss tomatoes
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
500 grams spaghetti
300 grams prawns (fresh or frozen), peeled and deveined
1/2 cup (125 ml) store bought basil pesto, extra if you love your pasta extra saucy
a large handful of fresh herbs (basil and parsley are lovely), picked and roughly chopped
parmesan and fresh basil leaves, to serve
METHOD
Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius (390 F). Place a large pot of water over high heat and bring to the boil.
Place tomatoes onto an oven tray lined with baking paper, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and bake for 15-20 minutes or until cooked and slightly charred. Set aside.
Meanwhile, place spaghetti into boiling water and cook according to packet instructions. Reserve a mug of cooking water before draining the spaghetti. Set aside.
Bring a nonstick frypan to high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and prawns and cook until golden and cooked through (2-3 minutes if using fresh or 5-7 minutes if frozen). Add the pesto and stir to combine. Add the spaghetti, a splash or 2 of the reserved pasta water (if desired), fresh herbs and stir to combine.
Place spaghetti into a family sized serving platter. Top with roasted truss tomatoes, a grating of parmesan and extra basil leaves. When serving this supper to your little one, be sure to pick the truss tomatoes off the stems. Tomatoes roasted like this taste so sweet and juicy – your bub will love them! Enjoy x
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