• If your prawns are frozen, place them in a sieve and run them under cold water for 4-5 minutes to defrost them, then dry them thoroughly.
• Peel the garlic cloves and dice them as finely as you can.
• Heat a 20cm or 8" saucepan over a high heat and cook the pasta until al dente.
• Heat a 30cm or 12" frying pan over a medium-high heat, and when it is hot, add the olive oil, then throw in the garlic and cook for 30-60 seconds.
• Add the anchovies and prawns and cook for two minutes.
• Pour in the white wine and cook for a further two minutes.
• Drain the pasta, reserving around 75ml (⅓ Cup) of the cooking liquid and add the pasta to the prawn pan with the pesto.
• Toss everything together adding as much liquid as required to form a nice coating on the pasta.
• Serve with shredded fresh basil.

Instructions for homemade Basil Pesto:

• Put the basil leaves in a mini blender or pestle and mortar
• Toast the pine nuts in a small dry frying pan and add them to the basil.
• Add the remaining ingredients for the pesto and blitz until an appropriate texture is achieved.

  I like to transfer my pesto to a pestle and mortar and pound it for a minute or two to get the oils from the basil and pine nuts flowing. This is optional!