My mum spent the entire day in bed yesterday. I can't say I blamed her, it was a horribly stormy winter's day. The ultimate weather to stay snuggled up in pajama's and under the covers. It also helps that she had these four big babies entrapping her:
Their names are India, Guru, Striker and Mini Minx. Coolest cats in the world!
(Yes... I am aware that them sprawled out across a leopard print blanket is slightly sadistic....)
Anyway - as it's just the two of us at home at the moment, I felt like spoiling her with some lunch in bed (she had breakfast in bed too, by the way! Lucky lady...) so I went off to the shops and bought a few small ingredients as well as a delicious bottle of Nederburg wine and set to work in my kitchen.
The dish I decided to make for us was a vegetarian pasta typically known as: Spaghetti Aglio Olio Peperoncino... also known as: Pretty Much The Best Damn Pasta In The World.
I can also tell you why I believe that:
A) The ingredients (which I will list below) are all common things found in even the most simplistic kitchen.
B) If you do not have one of the ingredients, absolutely everything you need is dirt cheap anyway!
C) It's quick and filling! What more do you need?
Ingredients
Serves 2
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 Big Red Chili's, Chopped Ruggedly
- 2 Cloves of Garlic, Diced
- Spaghetti
- A Handful of Fresh Parsley
- A Handful of Bread Crumbs
- A Bottle of Your Preferred Wine! (not optional)
Start by preparing all of your ingredients while the spaghetti boils away for roughly 8 minutes (until cooked al dente).
Destalk parsley and tear the leaves roughly up with your fingers and put them into a dry pan.
Add in a handful of bread crumbs which you can find at nearly any bakery you try for as little as 50p.
Then put this dry pan onto the stove and cook until the crumbs turn golden brown.
Ruggedly chop through chili's and dice up the garlic cloves before putting them into a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil over the stove.
You have to be really careful at this point not to burn your garlic because if you do it will give the dish a bitter taste.
Once the garlic and chili's are cooked through you can drain your spaghetti (leaving a few ladles of pasta water to prevent dryness if necessary). Mix the spaghetti into your pan with the chili and garlic with the stove on low heat.
Grind in some salt and pepper to your liking.
Now take your other pan with the bread crumbs and parsley and mix these ingredients all together thoroughly.
Dish up your plates and add a fresh parsley leaf on top as garnish.
Serve immediately.
I first had this pasta in Venice. A friend of mine, Tom, told me it was an amazing pasta and I really wasn't sure that I believed him. How could it be??? There's so little ingredients and no meat.... but boy did he prove me wrong. This is by far the yummiest, tastiest, most incredible pasta and I will make it again and again! Particularly when I'm just cooking for myself at home! Perfect meal for one.
♥
