Ultimate Comfort Food

By Rachel Davies

When I was very young, my father worked directly above a Spaghetti House restaurant. Every Christmas the manager would give him a pannetone to take home for us (the start of my obsession with the yeasty melt-in-your-mouth cake), and whenever I had lunch with my dad we’d go downstairs for a meal.

I have no idea when or why I first had my absolute favourite comfort food in the whole world, but it was definitely at the Spaghetti House, and try as I may, ordering something different is never, ever as satisfying.

The dish is Spaghetti Aglio Olio e Peperoncino topped with parmesan, lots of it. It’s garlicy, full of flavour, slippery and satisfying – it can’t be beaten!

The natural next step, you’d think, would be to make it at home, but somehow the test phase lasted a while. I made salty, mushy versions that were barely edible, before giving up, and then coming back to the dish for another attempt, and failing again. It was very disheartening.

You’ll be pleased to know that I’ve now got it sorted. The downside is that whenever I want a quick, satisfying, hot, homely, comforting meal, if I don’t have much in the fridge and can’t be bothered dreaming up dishes from things in the cupboard, this is it. Always. The ingredients are long life staples you probably have lying around, it’s easy, and as long as everyone else eats some, you won’t notice the garlic smell!

Spaghettii Aglio Olio e Peperoncino – Serves 4

Ingredients

400g spaghetti

4 garlic cloves, crushed

1 teaspoon chilli flakes

Olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

A handful of fresh parsley, chopped

Parmesan to serve

Method

Bring a well-salted pan of water to the boil, and cook the spaghetti until al dente. Italians say the water should be as salty as the sea, so check and be generous with the seasoning.

In the meantime, pour a generous glug of olive oil into a cold frying pan, along with the crushed garlic and chilli flakes. Heat gently, infusing the oil with the flavours, and as soon as the garlic turns lightly golden, remove from the heat.

Drain the spaghetti well, and toss in the saucepan with the infused oil over a low heat for a few minutes. Mix in the parsley, and serve with lashings of parmesan and some ground black pepper.

Yum…

You might also like:

Quick and easy Salmon and Mango Chutney

Quinoa Spiced Stuffed Peppers

Or sign up for one of Rachel’s cookery classes for plenty more delicious dishes.