Pasta
So the season of good will has all but ended,…and the weather forecast is bleak for the next week or so. Lets do three things with Pasta. The Carbs will keep you warm.
When thinking of what to do with Pasta I always remember the scene from Goodfellas where the wiseguys are in prison preping the meal. Vinny uses too many onions in the sauce, but Paulie is cutting the garlic wafer thin with a razor blade (dedication to flavour huh). Pasta is the ultimate meal in minutes, it’s so versatile. You can make a rich sauce but amend the amounts for kids, or you can make a simple sauce in the time it takes to boil the pasta. You can fill it, coat it, or completely submerge it, its the ultimate dive in style family food.
Pasta Puttanesca
Called after the ladies of the night who needed to cook up a quick supper inbetween clients. Bring a pan of water to the boil and add your Spaghetti or Penne. In a frying pan add a slug of olive oil and 3 cloves of garlic crushed and a pinch of dried chilli flakes, dont burn it just a light colour, then add about 8 anchovies and stir for a minute so they break down, then add a palm full of olives and a palm full of capers, crush gently with the back of a wooden spoon to release the flavour. Let this bubble for 8 minutes while you drain your pasta, then add your pasta to your sauce so it coated. Serve
Linguini with Crab
While your linquini (250g) is cooking get a medium bowl, chop super fine 2 red finger chillies 3 large garlic cloves and a hand full of parsley, put in your bowl and add the juice of a lemon and a big glug of extra virgin olive oil and season, this should be quite liquid. Now add 250 to 300 grams of Crab meat (NOT from a tin) and break up. Drain pasta and add to crab mix. This works even better if you can get hold of some black squid ink pasta.
Penne Carbonara
Cook your (250g) penne in boiling water. In a frying pan fry 7oz Pancetta in olive oil to release its own fat, then beat 6 free range egg yolks and 4floz of double cream, mix in 2oz of fine fresh parmesan and season. Stir your pasta into the Pancetta then add you egg mixture. The heat from the pasta will cook the eggs. Spinkle with more parmesan and serve.
The Great Food Company 