Tagliatelle in Saffron and Mascarpone Sauce with Prawns

Ingredients for 6:

600g Tagliatelle
2 onions
1 Garlic clove
2 tb Olive oil
1 pinch Saffron strands
200ml dry white wine
500g Mascarpone cheese (can be substituted with cream cheese)
36 small/medium prawns, around 300g
Salt and pepper
1tbsp fish sauce (optional)
1 tbsp light soy sauce (optional)
1 tsp dried dill
1 handful torn fresh basil leaves to garnish


Method:
1. Cook the pasta according to package instructions. (Pasta is done when it's still very firm to the firm. It will continue to soften after the water is drained.)

2. Finely chop the onions and garlic. In a large frying pan heat the oil, add the onions and garlic and fry for 2-3 minutes.

3. Add the saffron, then half of the wine and finally add the Mascarpone cheese. Simmer gently for a few minutes, add the remaining wine, prawns and dill. Season to taste with salt and pepper and add fish sauce and light soy sauce if you like.

4. Drain pasta, add sauce and garnish with basil leaves.

recipe modified from here

Comments:
This is a once in a while dish...and i m slightly embarassed to confess that i cannot resist bargains..i saw the mascapone cheese going for one-sixth of its regular price and grabbed two tubs...
and when i reached home, i realised..."shucks!! What am i going to do with 500 g of 35% fat cheese!!!!!????"
(do the math...it's around 175g fat..!!!) First thought was tiramisu...but i really don't like sweet stuff and would feel so guilty eating it...and a brief, ok, not so brief, search on the internet yielded a few interesting sounding recipes...and i tried the one above...cos it had...saffron!!! Ever since tasting a very interesting prawn saffron avocado soup that Moa made, i have been quite intrigued with the spice...it's touted as the world's most expensive spice and for good reason...it retails for more than its worth in gold and thank God, that you only need a pinch for most recipes...but i think it really adds body and complexity to a dish...or perhaps it's just the psychogical effect of paying more and expecting more??? haha...
AND it has some health benefits to boot! (I'm really interested in 'protective foods'..the practical side of me likes to eat food which taste great and is also good for you..) According to wikipedia, it's apparently good for gastrointestinal ailments, wound healing (you bathe in saffron-infused water!), coughs, scabies, depression and is also anticarcinogenic! haha...sounds like a wonder drug!! But with all things, it can be toxic if used in excess..but i guess its hefty price tag is a good deterrant..
:)

oh!! and here's a picture of Moa's soup....yummm....