Pasta with white sauce and Garlic & Basil prawns

Recipe by Monira

Ingredients:

1. 250 g pasta or spaghetti 
2. 15 g butter 
3. 1 tbs olive oil 
4. 1/4 cup flour (sieved) 
5. 2 oxo cubes (stock cubes) 
6. 1/4 tsp each Salt & pepper (seasoning to taste) 
7. 2 cups milk 
8. I cup cooked pasta water (retain) 
9. Grated Parmesan cheese (to taste)
10. Freshly ground pepper (additional to taste) 
11. Extra virgin olive oil or chilli oil (optional) 

Cook pasta per instructions (approx 12 minutes) & retain cooked water to use in sauce 

Sauce:

• Mix sieved flour, oxo cube & seasoning;
• Start Melting butter in wok or large non-stick frying pan, add oil to stop butter burning; 
• stir in flour mix & fry slightly approx 2-3 mins 
• Add milk - stir to ensure no lumps;
• Add pasta water & continue stirring (ensure no lumps);
• Add further seasoning to taste

Garlic & Basil Prawns 

1. Prawns 250 g 
2. 10 g butter
3. 0.5 tbs olive oil 
4. Crushed garlic
5. Chopped fresh basil or basil paste  

Cooking:

• On low heat Melt butter & add olive oil, add crushed garlic and basil - ensure garlic doesn't burn
• Add & Fry Prawns in butter, until prawns change colour (approx 3 - 5 mins);

Serve: pasta or spaghettini on a plate,  pour sauce on top, add prawns and garnish with granted Parmesan cheese, freshly ground pepper,drizle some extra virgin olive oit and/or chilli oil 

Variations: add baked scampi and/or calamari with prawns, or with salmon fillet (fried in butter/olive oil with oxo seasoning), or serve with baked chicken; for vegetarian option just add grated mozzarella cheese; 

Creamy tomato sauce:

1. 15 g butter 
2. 1 tbs olive oil 
3. 1/4 cup flour (sieved) 
4. 2 oxo cubes 
5. 1/4 tsp each Salt & pepper (seasoning to taste) 
6. Sundried tomato pesto sauce 
7. 2 cups milk 
8. I cup cooked pasta water (retain) 
9. Grated Parmesan cheese (to taste)
10. Freshly ground pepper (additional to taste) 
11. Extra virgin olive oil or chilli oil (optional) 

Cooking: 

• Mix sieved flour, oxo cube & seasoning;
• Start Melting butter in wok or large non-stick frying pan, add oil to stop butter burning; 
• stir in flour mix & fry slightly (1-2 mins), 
• Add tomato pesto and continue frying (approx another 3-4 mins) 
• Add milk - stir to ensure no lumps;
• Add pasta water & continue stirring (ensure no lumps);
• Add further seasoning to taste if required 

Serve as per with white sauce with pasta or spaghetti with prawns or salmon or chicken or scampi or calamari or grated mozzarella