Who DOESN'T adore a linguine or spaghetti - with prawns?

It's one of my favourites (Yumi) and it's been a goal of mine this year to figure out the best recipe for making it at home. For myself. Cos - yum.

COMBINING marinated prawns with THIS RECIPE FOR SPAGHETTI ALLA ASSASINA is a bit of a cheat... but if you love chilli...and black pepper...and prawns... This is going to be a winner!

I used 150g of prawn tail meat per serve, and marinated them in a non-reactive bowl with a couple of teaspoons of sambal oelek (from the mainstream supermarket) and a ton of fresh black pepper. You don't want the marinade to be soggy.

PS. I got lazy and one time tried just tossing the prawns in with the spaghetti as it cooked and IT FAILED. Soggy prawns and super gross. You need to fry the prawns seperately!

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Apparently we’re in our Freezer Girl Era now – – and yes, I know I’m a boy. But this trend?

I’m fully on board. It’s about filling your freezer with little things that make weeknight cooking feel like you actually have your life together.

This isn’t bulk meal prep. This is freezer magic – a stash of flavour bombs and shortcuts that save you mid-week.

Here’s what’s in my current rotation:

 Flavoured butters: mix butter with garlic and herbs, or miso and sesame oil, or

truffle and parmesan. Roll into a log, freeze, and slice off coins as needed.

 Pesto ice cubes: blitz wilting herbs with oil and garlic, freeze in trays. Add to pasta,

soups, sandwiches – boom.

 Rice balls: leftover rice + soy + sesame = freezer patties you can pan-fry from frozen.

 Wine cubes: splash of red or white to rescue a bland dinner. You’re welcome.

 Cookie dough blobs: bake one, freeze ten. Smug levels: high.

Stock your freezer like you’re feeding your future self – or just buying yourself five quiet

minutes.

- Simon

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It feels like Spring and Summer are around the corner, and Yumi is excited about a pasta salad that can be served warm and has a super-cute, mouth-pleasing texture that may well intern it into the FOREVER FILES.

Based on this recipe, Yumi has halved the quantities to suit her ("Mercifully Divorced") lifestyle and improved it by cooking the corn and adding chopped smoked almonds at the end.

Quick answer to a riddle we don't solve on-air: Creste di Gallo looks like this!

And the book Simon is talking about is The Geometry of Pasta.

SUPER-CUTE PASTA SALAD

• 125g ditalini pasta
• 2 ears fresh corn, shucked and washed
• 1-2 large stalks celery, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 tbs finely chopped fresh chives
• roughly chopped smoked almonds (optional)

DRESSING

• Granulated sugar (probs don't need)
• 2 tablespoons white or yellow miso
• 2.5 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon hot hot chilli sauce, minced chipotles in adobo, or gochujang, or sambal oelek
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise (I use Kewpie)

METHOD

Prepare the dressing by whisking all the ingredients together in a tiny bowl or jar.

Prepare the celery by chopping to pieces the same size as the pasta will be when cooked (about the same size as an adult human tooth).

In a large, heavy-based pan, cook the corn until slightly charred.

Boil the pasta to al dente. (Very important not to overcook it or it'll be gross!)

Drain the pasta well then combine the salad ingredients, mix well and pour over the dressing.

Serve immediately with smoked almonds scattered over the top.

LEFTOVERS can be revived with some fresh rocket, tuna, chopped tomato, etc.

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