If we could eat pasta every day we would (and honestly, sometimes we do). This week we take you through our five favourite everyday pasta recipes (you could probably whip up most of them right now using just what’s in your fridge) and our fave EVENT pastas for when you want to put on a show. Anchovies! 🐟 Mortadella! Gorgonzola! What more could you want? Press that button to listen now or read on 👀 for all our spaghetti secrets.
Everyday Pasta
Smitten Kitchen’s Spaghetti al limone 🍋
This recipe is so easy and so delicious that it feels like cheating.Spaghetti alla Puttanesca - River Cafe Classic Italian Cookbook.
For 2-3 people, you’ll slice up 2 garlic cloves and cook it in about a tablespoon of olive oil. When it’s golden and softened add 3 roughly chopped anchovy fillets, a tablespoon of dried oregano and one dried red chilli that you crumble into the pan. Cook just until the anchovies start to melt. From there you throw in 3/4 tbsp of salted capers that you’ve rinsed and roughly chopped, along with 1 tablespoon of small black olives you’ve de-stoned and torn in half, and 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley. Mix well to combine, and then add 375g of fresh plum tomatoes you’ve finely chopped. (The recipe says to peel and core them but SoRo never bothers). Let the sauce simmer until it thickens (about 20 minutes) and season well. Cook your spaghetti until al dente, then add it into the pan with another 3/4 tbsp of capers, 1 tbsp of olives and 1 tbsp of parsley. Toss toss toss! Drizzle with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon before serving. A briny, salty wallop to the face!Jamie Oliver’s ‘Double whammy’ Arrabiata Recipe
Skip some of the fiddlier steps and use panko instead of homemade crumbs for a shortcut to spicy, pangrattato heaven.Orecchiette with Broccoli, Chilli and Asiago
SoMo skips the anchovy crumb, but if you’ve already picked up some panko, live your best life and throw some on top.Golden Door Avocado 🥑Pesto
No guac vibes 🙅🏼♀️Don’t let the fact SoMo got this recipe from a health retreat put you off, it’s creamy and delicious, and if you skip the parm, it’s vegan!
EVENT Pasta
Bon Appetit’s Pesto Bianco
Easy enough to be an everyday recipe, but rich enough that it’s worth saving for a special occasionCasarecce with Pork and Fennel Sausage ragu
We are alllll about that braised radicchio in this one.A Tavola’s Pappardelle con Ragu
For those times you want to cook all day and serve a crowd (or you just want lots of leftovers for your freezer).Leek and Gorgonzola Rigatoni - thank you Chiara for this recipe!
For two people, you want to slice up two leeks and sweat them down with olive oil until they’re translucent. Stir through half a cup of crumbled gorgonzola dolce until it’s melted and creamy then shower it in a decent amount of freshly cracked black pepper (to taste, but don’t be afraid).
Once your rigatoni is cooked get it in the pan and toss toss toss with a bit of pasta water until you can’t wait any longer, then pile it in two bowls and ascend to cheesy, leek-y heaven.The Meatball Shop’s Mortadella Meatballs
Big “juicy boys” filled with chunks of mortadella. The recipe doesn’t call for pasta but we can’t be controlled - pile one or two of these guys onto your spaghetti and dive in.
BONUS Pasta
Classic Carbonara, Gourmet Traveller
SoMo likes this recipe but recommends you only use egg yolks 🍳and pasta water - the egg whites will make it too watery!Bucatini all’Amatriciana, Gourmet Traveller
It’s a classic for a reason, and a good excuse to try bucatini if you haven’t already.Roasted Tomato, Garlic and Ricotta Spaghetti
For one to two people, roast a punnet of cherry tomatoes in a hot oven with salt, olive oil and two cloves of unpeeled garlic until they have softened and collapsed. Halfway through cooking, toss them around so they break down a little easier. Squeeze the roasted garlic from their skins, and toss the garlic paste through the tomatoes to create a sauce. Crack over some generous black pepper. Toss through cooked spaghetti with a ladle of pasta water, add fresh basil leaves and a spoon of ricotta on top. Yum!Clam Pasta with Chorizo and Walnuts by Alison Roman. For when you want to impress someone you like a lot. You should also pick up a copy of her book, Dining In.
Saffron & Tomato Cream Spaghetti via Sana Javeri Kadri on Insta
A throwback to season one! For two people, slice up a couple of cloves of garlic and start cooking them in olive oil on a medium-low heat to get soft. Throw in a punnet of cherry tomatoes (slice them if they’re big, but otherwise whole is fine), and when they’ve softened and the skins are looking a little loose, add about a quarter to a half cup of chicken or vegetable broth and let that reduce down. While this is happening you should have a generous pinch of saffron cold blooming in about 3/4 cup of heavy cream. Once the stock is reduced and the tomatoes have slumped and collapsed, pour in the cream and let it simmer and cook down. Season with salt throughout the process and keep tasting it. Once the sauce is at your desired creamy consistency, toss in cooked spaghetti (or bucatini or linguini) and a little bit of pasta water and mix until it’s all one with the sauce. SoRo likes to put the pasta in when it’s a bit undercooked and let it finish cooking in the pan! If you’re feeling fancy, SoMo thinks it would go well with one or two perfectly cooked scampi on top. SoRo just usually tops it with chopped parsley and parmesan.
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Thanks again to our sponsor DRNKS.com for their support of this episode. Don’t forget to use the code HIGHLYENTHUSED at checkout for 10% off your order! They’ve even got an Italian Pack 🇮🇹, perfect for matching with the pasta you’re planning to make for dinner tonight. Over 18s only, and please drink responsibly.
So which one are you going to make first?
Love ya!
S&S