About the first she says (an example of her winning writing style), "Quick, simple, and—much as I hate the word—tasty. I know no self-respecting Italian would let tomato seeds sully the sauce, but I do so very happily, and it's the gloop inside the halved cherry tomatoes that adds cohesion to the spicy, tangy creaminess."
Gemelli with Anchovies, Tomatoes, and Mascarpone
Serves 2; prep time 30 minutes; cooking time 10–30 mins; total time up to an hour- 6 oz gemelli pasta
- 1 Tb olive oil
- 6 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1/4 tsp dried chili flakes
- 6 oz cherry tomatoes, halved across the equator
- 4 Tb dry white vermouth
- 2 Tb mascarpone
- 1 Tb finely grated Parmesan plus extra to serve
- 2 Tb finely chopped Italian parsley, plus extra to serve
- salt
Method
1. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions, but start checking a good 2 minutes before you're told it should be ready.2. Meanwhile, put the oil and anchovies in a heavy-based wok and cook, stirring, over medium heat for about 1 minute, or until the anchovies have mostly dissolved in the oil. Stir in the garlic and chili flakes, then turn up the heat a little and add the tomatoes, stirring gently for 2 minutes, or until they begin to soften.
3. Pour in the vermouth, let it bubble up, then stir and push the tomatoes about in the pan for 2 minutes until they have broken down a little in the thickened, reduced sauce. Take the pan off the heat, stir in the mascarpone, and, when it's all melted, stir in the Parmesan and parsley.
4. Before you drain the pasta, lower in a cup to remove some of the cooking water. Add a tablespoon or so of the cooking water fo the pasta sauce; this will help the sauce coat the pasta. Drain the pasta, add it to the sauce, and toss well to mix, adding more of the pasta cooking water if needed. Sprinkle with a little parseey and serve with Parmesan.
Note: Gemelli—which means "twins" in Italian—are a robust short pasta shape, made out of a single rope of pasta, doubled back on itself like a helicoidal twist. If you can't find them (though they are worth seeking out), substitute fusilli.
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She introduces the second recipe like this: "Much as I love to have a pan bubbling away on the stove, I often feel that the most stress-free way to feed people is by taking the oven route. When I'm frazzled, I firmly believe that the tray-bake is the safest way to go. Enjoy the easefulness of the oven: you just bung everything in, and you're done. I think I'd go to the supreme effort of laying on a green salad as well but, other than that, you may kick up your flamenco heels and enjoy the fiesta."
Spanish Chicken with Chorizo and Potatoes
Serves 6 (she says: I think maybe 12); prep time 15 minutes; cooking time 1 hour |
| Photo by Lis Parsons |
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 12 chicken thighs with skin and bone still on
- 26 oz Spanish chorizo (or linguica), cut into 1½ inch chunks
- 2 lbs new potatoes (halved) (can use half sweet potatoes)
- 2 red onions (peeled and roughly chopped)
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- grated zest of 1 orange
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Put the oil in the bottom of 2 shallow roasting pans, 1 tablespoon in each. Rub the skin of the chicken in the oil, then turn skin-side up, 6 pieces in each pan.2. Divide the sausages and the new potatoes between the two pans. Sprinkle the onion and the oregano over, then grate the orange zest over the contents of the two pans.
3. Cook for 1 hour, but after 30 minutes, swap the top tray with the bottom tray in the oven and baste the contents with the orange-colored juices.
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