Spicy Salty Spaghetti
I must make this spaghetti at least once a week, it’s the most adaptable recipe. Swap out different spicy or salty things to suit your fancy. Sometimes I use capers instead of olives, sometimes fresh red chilli instead of dried and sometimes sardines instead of anchovies. Use any olives you can find, tinned or jarred will both do.
If you find the ones in a jar, use a bit of the olive oil that they’re packed in to add to the sauce too.
- 400 ml of passata or chopped tomatoes
- 80 ml of olive oil
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 6 big tinned anchovies
- 1 heaped teaspoon of dried chillies
- A sprinkle of sugar
- 100g of olives
- A packet of whatever pasta you have but I love the way this twirls with spaghetti
- As much Parmesan cheese as you desire
- A bunch of fresh parsley
– In a heavy-bottomed pot fry the garlic in the olive oil on medium heat.
– Add the anchovies and chilli and break them down with the back of a wooden spoon.
– Once you can smell them all sizzling, add in the tomatoes and olives and turn down to a low simmer.
– Let it bubble for ten minutes then taste before you season, there’s a lot of salt in both the olives and anchovies so will only need a little bit of salt and pepper.
– Boil your pasta to packet instructions and toss while hot with the spicy salty sauce.
– Completely cover in parmesan and chopped parsley
– Eat immediately
Lemony White Beans
This is a really simple dish to make. It’s a great side dish for grilled fish or chicken but it can also be the base of a main course served with bread and something like a poached egg. If you can’t find tinned beans, this dish works well with chickpeas too. If you’ve got an old Parmesan rind hanging about, throw that into the pot while the beans are cooking.
- 1 tin of tinned Cannellini or haricot beans
- 100ml of olive oil
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 lemon
- 2 cloves of garlic
- A bunch of fresh parsley
- Salt to season
– In a pot fry two cloves of garlic in olive oil on low heat until fragrant.
– Chop the tomatoes and add to the oil.
– Rinse the beans under cold water and add to the pan with half a tin of water (use the bean tin to measure).
– Simmer on medium heat until the water has reduced by half.
– Zest the lemon and stir the zest and the juice of the whole lemon into the beans.
– Season to taste and stir in chopped parsley before serving.
– Drizzle with olive oil and eat immediately.
Author of this article, Bre Graham, has donated her fee to The Trussell Trust.
