Tomato, Basil, Garlic Prawns on Rotini Pasta

Fern is away so I'm cooking for one and experimenting a little. I'm using up those cheap, lesser quality prawns I bought.  With lots of salt I managed to get a hint of prawn flavor out of one of them. The sauce is a great innovation. I really liked the tomatoes Fern canned last summer, packed with flavor.  Unfortunately I used up the last jar.  I did not consider using 'Hunts Tomato Sauce' or other ready made because it would not have the flavor I'm looking for. Instead I planned to use 1/2 can tomato paste.

To start I caramelized a diced onion, then added celery and garlic to sweat. I took the vegetables out of the pan, added oil, some salt and put the prawns in to cook.  I just barely cook them so they'll finish in the sauce.  If they are fully cooked then put in the hot sauce for several more minutes they'll become rubbery. Put the cooked prawns with the onion, etc.

Put pasta on if it isn't already, it'll take 12 minutes. 1 cup per serving.

Put 1 teaspoon flour in the sauce pan and enough oil to make a paste.  Cook the flour for at least a minute to cook the flour taste off then remove from heat and add 1/4 cup chicken stock. Whisk to remove lumps and add more stock if needed to make enough sauce for the pasta. Add half a can of tomato paste and whisk in then put the pan back on medium low heat.  Heat the sauce and add stock or turn heat up and reduce if it's too thin.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  A teaspoon of dry basil or tablespoon of fresh chopped go in about 4 minutes from pasta.  Add the prawns and veggies back in and thoroughly mix. Everything should be ready when the pasta is done so drain the pasta, add it to the sauce and toss or plate the pasta and sauce over top. I'm cooking for one so I don't need to impress myself with my plating style.

The tomato sauce from paste idea worked great! Not as good as home canned tomatoes but much better than ready made tomato sauce. The prawns were still flavorless but at least that's what I expected this time. Now back to my new chicks.  4 Ameraucana day old chicks arrived this morning. By mid September they'll be laying green eggs!