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Light bites, Main Courses, Recipe, Vegan, Vegetarian

Spaghettini with garlic, chilli and parsley

by Lindsey Harrad   ·  4 years ago  
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This was always a favourite with the staff at the River Café. Cook the garlic just enough so that it’s not too powerful (don’t let it colour); and use mild chillies, otherwise they can overpower the other ingredients.

I find that the older I get, the more bite I enjoy in my pasta: cook the spaghettini so that it is properly al dente – which for these fine strands means a good two minutes less than suggested on the packet.

DETAILS

  • Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
  • 2 mild red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
  • 500g spaghettini
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 100g vegetarian or vegan Parmesan-style cheese (optional), finely grated, to serve
METHOD
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan on a low heat. When hot, add the garlic and chillies and cook gently for 30 seconds, until the garlic is soft but has no colour. Add the chopped parsley and cook for a further 1 minute. Remove from the heat and leave to one side.
  2. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the spaghettini and boil for 2 minutes less than the packet cooking time. Using tongs, transfer the pasta to the frying pan with the garlic, parsley and chilli. Add a ladleful of the pasta cooking water, place the frying pan back on a low heat and cook for a further 2 minutes, until the pasta is coated with the chilli, parsley and garlic. Check the seasoning.
  3. Serve in warmed pasta bowls sprinkled generously with grated Parmesan, if you wish.

Adapted from The Italian Deli Cookbook by Theo Randall (Quadrille, £26). Photography by Lizzie Mayson.