Summary

Prep: 5 minutes
Cooking: 15 minutes
Ages: Toddlers to Teens
Difficulty: Easy peasy
Makes: 6 servings

What is linguine?

Unlike spaghetti, which is a medium round noodle, linguine is a thicker, flatter pasta. The name comes from ‘Lingue’ which means tongue, so ‘Linguine’ literally means ‘small tongues’.

The flattened surface of the linguine helps the sauces to stay on the surface of the pasta.

While we prefer linguine for this dish, if you only have spaghetti in the cupboard it will still make for a great tasting recipe!

Shrimp or prawns?

Shrimps and prawns may both be decapod crustaceans but they are actually two different species. Prawns classified as Dendrobranchiata and shrimps as Pleocyemata. There are also some anatomical differences such as the number of legs with claws on them.

However in cooking they are so easily interchangeable that they are often considered to be the same thing. Taste wise they are very similar so either can be used in this recipe. Shrimp are said to taste slightly more ‘buttery’ while prawns taste more ‘like chicken’.

In general one tends to find prawns that are larger and shrimps that are smaller and for that reason we’ve preferred prawns here.

Shellfish allergies in young children

Many parents may steer clear of prawns during the early years as they’re concerned about allergies. Shellfish are one of the common foods that children have allergies too. However with that in mind, the advice on when it’s best to introduce prawns varies.

The NHS advises that prawns are safe for babies to eat from as early as 6 months old, provided they are thoroughly cooked. And that waiting longer doesn’t prevent the allergy from developing.

In support of this view more and more medical professionals are advising parents to keep children exposed to as many different foods as possible from early on, as it may actually prevent allergies from developing.

Other doctors however advise caution and say to wait as long as 3 years before serving prawns.

Whenever you decide is the best time for your child to start we always recommend following a few basic guidelines. These would apply to any new food they are trying (not just prawns):

• if your baby has had eczema or signs of allergies in the past, discuss this with your doctor before introducing foods with a higher risk of allergies.
• give a small amount of the ‘new food’ to your child in the morning or early afternoon. This is so that you have a few hours of awake time with them before they go to sleep for the night. That way you can more easily spot an allergic reaction if one occurred than if they were asleep.

So we would proceed with caution first time round, but if your child is fine with prawns, cook away!

They are a great addition to their diet. Prawns have lots of lean protein as well zinc, selenium, protein, B3 and Vitamin D.  Throw in some veg, and you have healthy meal that everyone will love.

Ingredients

• 350 grams linguine pasta, uncooked
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 250 grams mushrooms, sliced
• 500 grams fresh prawns (without shells)
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 400 grams crème fraiche
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley (garnish)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Bring a saucepan of water to the boil with a little salt. Cook your linguine pasta in it for 10 minutes (or for as long as the packet instructions say).
2. While the pasta is boiling, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large frying pan on a medium heat.
3. Add the garlic and onion and sautée until soft.
4. Add in the mushrooms and cook until everything is nicely browned.
5. Either push the mushrooms onion and garlic to the sides of the frying pan, or transfer them to a separate plate while you cook the prawns.
6. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and cook the prawns for a few minutes on each side.
7. Add the paprika and salt. Cook while occasionally stirring for a further few minutes.
8. Add the crème fraiche and milk. Bring to the boil and tip in the grated mozzarella cheese.
9. If you removed the mushrooms, onions and garlic then return them to the frying pan.
10. Add in the cooked linguine pasta as well.
11. Stir everything thoroughly for a further 2 minutes on low heat. Garnish with parsley and serve!

Creamy prawn linguine – your step by step guide:

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