Prawn Linguine and Cos-Parmesan Salad

Prepare Ingredients:

Wash the fresh produce. Heat a medium-large pot of salted water to boiling on high. Cut off and discard the root ends of the spring onion; thinly slice, separating the white bottoms and green tops. Peel and thinly slice the garlic. Quarter and deseed the lemon. Trim and discard the root end of the cos lettuce; separate the leaves. Pick the parsley leaves; discarding stems.

Make Dressing:

In a small bowl, combine half the parmesan and the juice of 2 lemon wedges; season with salt and pepper to taste. Slowly whisk in 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil until well combined.

Cook Vegetables & Prawn:

In a large pan, heat olive oil on medium until hot. Add the white bottoms of the spring onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes, or until softened and fragrant. Add the prawns; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until opaque and just cooked through. Turn off the heat.

Cook Pasta:

Add the pasta to the pot of boiling water, stirring gently to separate. Cook 5 - 6 minutes, or until tender. Reserving ½ cup of the pasta cooking water, thoroughly drain the cooked pasta.

Finish Pasta:

To the same pan, add the butter, mascarpone cheese, cooked pasta, remaining parmesan, the juice of the remaining lemon wedges and half the pasta cooking water; season with salt and pepper. Cook on medium, stirring frequently to coat the pasta, 2 to 3 minutes, or until thoroughly combined. If the sauce seems dry, gradually add the remaining pasta cooking water to achieve your desired consistency. Remove from heat. Stir in the green tops of the spring onion and half the parsley; season with salt and pepper to taste.

You Plate It:

In a large bowl, combine the cos lettuce and remaining parsley. Add enough of the dressing to coat the salad you may have extra. Toss the salad to combine, season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving dish. Serve the finished pasta with the salad alongside. Enjoy!