There are nights when supper needs to be nothing more than a bowl of pasta. Something quick, comforting, generous. The sort of food that asks little of you but gives back in spades.
A clove of garlic, sliced thin and left to turn golden in olive oil, is enough. A flicker of chilli, a little cooked spaghetti, and a pinch of chopped parsley. In the time it takes for the pasta to soften, you have dinner. Add a few prawns, perhaps, or a little diced ham, and the bowl feels more complete.
There are literally hundreds of delicious pasta sauces you can try, so it’s time to take a break from the boring Bolognese and broaden your repertoire with a few fresh ideas for the perfect pasta dish. For something a little different, why not try pasta with avocado, basil and lemon sauce?
Just put your spaghetti on to boil, then scoop out the avocado flesh and blend with lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, salt and basil until smooth. Toss through the hot pasta and serve with loads of grated Parmesan.
Another favourite of mine is to simply add pesto, tuna, bacon and sweet corn to Fusili pasta spirals and then finish with crumbled feta on top; or chop fresh courgettes into large chunks and fry them slowly in olive oil, butter and garlic until they are soft and almost creamy and then, add ricotta cheese and penne pasta…it’s quick, simple and utterly delicious.
You could also attempt a classic “All’ Arrabbiata” with tomato-chilli sauce or supercharged “spaghetti Alla Puttanesca” with capers, olives, anchovy, garlic and tinned tomatoes. One of the most popular pasta dishes is off course “ Alla carbonara”. As with so many Italian foodstuffs, it has a disputed history, though most people now accept that carbonara probably originated in or around Rome, though even today almost nobody seems to agree on the exact ingredients. All recipes seem to contain a little pancetta or bacon, but some will insist on using eggs and cream, while others only eggs and butter, and there are also those who keep it simple and just use eggs. Whatever your preference, Carbonara may be a simple dish, but the devil is in the detail; personally, I prefer a little cream with the eggs, and I also add garlic as, strangely enough, most classic Carbonaras don't seem to include it.
Penne or rigatoni is good for catching the sauce; A little crème fraîche stirred with lemon zest and parmesan, wrapped round tagliatelle, is sharp yet soothing. Or you might take a handful of basil, rocket, even spinach, and grind it into a vivid pesto to gloss fusilli or farfalle. Whatever you do, the beauty of pasta is how willingly it takes on what you have to hand to make a delicious supper, in a bowl. Simple, honest, and exactly what you needed.
RATATOUILLE PASTA BAKE WITH MOZZARELLA & BASIL
Ingredients: serves 4-6
2 large aubergines, diced
4 small courgettes, diced
2 red or yellow peppers, diced
5 large ripe plum tomatoes, chopped
200g cherry tomatoes, halved
1tsp tomato puree
5 tbsp olive oil
a small bunch basil
a pinch of oregano
a stalk of fresh thyme
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
180g penne pasta, cooked
150g grated mozzarella cheese
Heat the olive oil a large saucepan. Add the chopped onions and crushed garlic and soften slightly for 1 minute. Add the chopped peppers, aubergines, courgettes and tomato puree and mix well. Add the chopped plum tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, oregano and thyme. Season with salt and pepper and cook slowly over gentle flame for 30-40 minutes until soft and tender. Stir gently with a handful of torn basil leaves and add the cooked penne pasta. Pour into a baking dish, add the cherry tomatoes and sprinkle with grated mozzarella. Bake at 180C/gas mark 4 for about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and scatter with fresh basil leaves. Serve immediately.
PASTA ALLA NORMA
Penne pasta with aubergines, tomato & basil
Ingredients serves 4
500g penne pasta
2 aubergines, cut into large cubes
3 garlic cloves, crushed
12 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
250ml homemade tomato sauce
30g fresh basil leaves, torn
100ml olive oil
150g pecorino or parmesan cheese, grated
Seasoning
Heat a heavy bottomed frying pan with the olive oil. Season the aubergine pieces with salt and pepper, then fry the aubergine until golden brown on each side. Add the garlic and cherry tomatoes. Cook over a gentle heat for 2-3 minutes and then add the tomato sauce. Cook down gently for 10 minutes.
Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until “al dente”. Drain the pasta, reserving a little of the cooking water. Stir in the drained pasta the aubergines and add a little of the cooking water if you’d like to loosen the sauce. Season to taste and serve with torn basil leaves grated pecorino.
Simple Spaghetti Carbonara
Ingredients: serves 4
400g spaghetti
150g guanciale or streaky bacon, diced
1 fat garlic clove, crushed
2 large eggs, and 2 extra egg yolks
100g Pecorino or parmesan cheese, grated
1 tbsp olive oil
2tbsp cream
Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente.
While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the diced guanciale or streaky bacon and cook until it becomes crispy and golden brown and add the garlic clove and cream.
In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks and grated Pecorino cheese until well combined. Season with black pepper.
Once the pasta is cooked, reserve a small cup of pasta cooking water, and then drain the spaghetti. Add the hot, drained pasta to the pan with the crispy guanciale or bacon. Toss to combine.
Remove the pan from the heat and quickly pour the egg and cheese mixture over the hot pasta. Toss the pasta and the egg mixture together.
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