Garlic Prawns and Pesto Courgetti

This is officially the first time I try making Courgetti.

I keep seeing the recipes pop up lately and I stare at them in awe, as salive starts dribbling down the side of my mouth, as I label the recipes as 'hard to do', and give up even trying to make them. WRONG.

Most of the recipes actually couldn't be simpler! So last weekend, I went to the BBC Good Food Eat Well Show in Kensington Olympia, and there was this hilarious man advertising spiralizers. And so I fell in love with its simplicity and bought not one but two. Because they make great presents - don't you think?

Ingredients:

2 large courgettes, 200g raw prawns, 1 clove garlic, ½ tsp dried chilli flakes, 15g sunflower butter (dairy free!) & (optional), ½ lemon juice, 
parsley leaf (optional).

Ingredients for the Pesto:

Fresh basil, half clove of garlic, 20g walnuts, 30ml E.V. olive oil, lemon juice

How to Make the GF/DF Pesto

Place all the pesto ingredients (minus the lemon juice) in a mini blender, and blend until smooth. Then add the lemon and set to one side. Add salt and pepper to taste.

How to make the Courgetti

Using a spiralizer (you can buy any kind of them on amazon), spiralize 2 courgettes. I usually measure one courgette each person. They are quite harmless in terms of calories (roughly around 25kcal per courgette) and, as this dish isn't particularly filling, we add volume through the courgettes.

How to Cook the Garlic Prawn Sauce:

Heat a pan, and add a tiny bit of oil and garlic. Let sizzle to make sure the oil infuses well with the garlic. In the meantime, chop the cherry tomatoes and before the garlic turns brown, add them to the pan. Let them cook for 3-5 mins. Then add the sunflower butter (this is optional - I like the creaminess it adds to the sauce, but if you don't want to use it, you can just add a little bit more oil in the beginning), lemon juice, prawns (if they are not frozen, then add also a little bit of hot water), and finally sprinkle on top the chilli flakes. Let it cook for another 5-6mins - or until the prawns are fully cooked.

Now all components should be ready. I prefer to heat the pesto for a bit before I add it to the raw Courgetti - as these will be cold. 30secs in the microwave should be just fine. Or alternatively around 1-2mins in a pot on the hob.

If you prefer your pesto to be cold, then you are ready to go.

Either way, place the courgetti in a bowl and add the pesto sauce on top.

Finally, pour over everything the garlic prawn sauce, and decorate with a fresh parsley leaf.

For a wonderful Raw alternative to this dish, follow the pesto and Courgetti instructions only. This too, makes a delicious meal!

Enjoy! x

Interesting Fact: According to World’s Healthiest Foods Nutrition information, nutrients and vitamins found in zucchini can help prevent cancer and heart disease.