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Wednesday 11 September 2013

SPAGHETTI WITH GARLIC, CHILLI AND SPINACH

Good Morning to you,


To everything, turn, turn, turn,
There is a season, turn, turn, turn,

.... and my, is the season turning. We had our first taste of Autumn yesterday..... it was cold, so very cold.  The North wind blew and the rain came down and for the first time in quite a while, I wore my coat, scarf and gloves.... that felt strange, as we have enjoyed  some beautiful, summer weather in the past couple of months.  As I look out of my window, I can see people passing by, wrapped up in their winter coats, on their way to the newsagents, to collect their morning papers.

Tuesdays are an odd day for me, as when I return home from my sewing group, I am always hungry.  I have decided it's because I am up that little bit earlier and I have my breakfast at seven, whereas normally, I would potter around a little and then eat breakfast at 9.30ish.  One thing is certain, I am always ready to eat, the moment I step inside the door.

So yesterday I made myself some fast food,


Spaghetti with garlic, chilli and spinach
and it has to be said, I was really content afterwards.

So it is on with the apron and the music I have chosen to listen to today is,


Harry Connick Jnr.  I  love his slow,  relaxed  style  of singing.   Listen to "Between Us" you will love it.

If you are ready, the ingredients we will need for this quick meal are,

INGREDIENTS


A quarter of a packet of dried spaghetti,
I chose to use whole wheat spaghetti today.


1 clove of garlic
and
1 teaspoon of chilli flakes


4 tablespoons of olive oil


one teaspoon of sea salt
and
one teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper


50g fresh baby spinach


2 tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan cheese


1 red onion

METHOD

Heat a pan of salted water
and
cook the spaghetti as directed by the manufacturer.
Make sure the spaghetti is al dente (has a little bite to it)

Whilst the spaghetti is cooking,


finely slice the red onion



Place 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a pan,
add the onions and cook over a moderate heat.


Cook until the onions take on a golden colour


Crush the garlic and
add to the pan.
Cook for a  minute


Add the chilli flakes,
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
and cook for a further two minutes.


When the spaghetti is cooked, drain, and add to the
pan with the browned onions.


Toss together


Wash the baby spinach
and


add to the spaghetti and toss together.
Pop a lid on the pan, as this will help retain the heat,
 so that the spinach wilts.
If the spinach does not wilt after a couple of minutes,
return to a low heat, for a minute or so.
Once the spinach has wilted, remove from the heat.


Grate 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese
and


add to the spaghetti, then toss together

At this point I drizzle over a couple of tablespoons of olive oil
and toss again.

Once you have plated your spaghetti,
as a final flourish,
finely grate just a little more Parmesan cheese over
the spaghetti,


.... and there you have it, a quick and easy lunch for two.  When we eat spaghetti at lunch time, we only have a light snack for supper.  

You may feel there are a lot of steps to this dish, but trust me, this is a quick dish. Do you know, I have even been known, to slice the onions the night before, to make this dish even quicker to make, but you will find that as soon as the spaghetti is cooked, the meal is practically ready..... so it takes about 20 minutes from start to finish..... not bad for an enjoyable  meal.

If you prefer a little more liquid with this garlic, chilli and spinach spaghetti, then you can always add small halved tomatoes to the dish at the same time as you add the chilli and this will create a little sauce for you.

Just to let you know, this Sunday, I had fully intended cooking with the Preserved Lemons, but they are not quite ready yet, so I have decided to give them a couple of more weeks to mature and then I shall be making a Tagine.

On a final note, I am slowly, but surely catching up with my emails, but I have decided that if you are kind enough to leave a comment, then I will respond in the reply section of my blog.  This way I am certain that I have replied to each and everyone of you.  

So take care and I will see you later in the week.

This week I will be joining,

37 comments:

  1. That sounds absolutely awesome! I'm going to save this and give it a try. Without a doubt, my hubby will love it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good Afternoon Stacey, I am so pleased you like the sound of the recipe. It really is easy peasy and we all need a few of these recipes in our repertoire. I do hope your husband enjoys this spaghetti dish.
      Best Wishes
      Daphne

      Delete
  2. Thank you,dear Daphne !!!! It is an excellent,
    fast and enjoyable meal !!!!
    (And really healthy !!!!!)
    I am looking forward to your Tagine !!!!!
    Best wishes

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good Afternoon Niki, You are absolutely right, this meal is certainly a healthy meal, especially as I made it using wholewheat spaghetti and it is made with foods which I keep in my pantry.
      I love Tagines, so it will be fun making one.... I just need those preserved lemons to hurry up and mature so that they can be ready to use..... not long now.
      Best Wishes to you,
      Daphne

      Delete
  3. This looks delicious! I make something very similar here but use kale in place of spinach. Sometimes the simplest things are the best.

    We're still experiencing high temperatures here and I'm so looking forward to a break in the weather.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good Afternoon Jacqueline, Do you know, I have never cooked with kale, I will have to try using kale instead of spinach. I love trying new ingredients and yes you are right, often the simplest things are the best.
      When does Autumn arrive for you? Last week we were enjoying sunshine, and I was wearing sandals, now it's on with the boots, coat and gloves... oh well that's the English weather for you.
      Best Wishes
      Daphne

      Delete
  4. Hello Daphne,

    That meal looks so lovely, great to use fresh ingredients too.

    Have a great day.
    Bev.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good Morning Bev, It's lovely to hear from you. You are absolutely right, using fresh ingredients makes for a lovely meal. The baby spinach I used, is so full of goodness and it also adds a lovely bit of colour to the dish. They do say "We eat with our eyes first".
      Best Wishes to you,
      Daphne

      Delete
  5. Hi Daphne, that is my kind of fast food. We adore spinach and most times use it instead of lettuce for salads. You have inspired me to put Harry Connick on Pandora as I blog. I like him in movies too. His smile is swoon worthy. Thanks for the visit. My procedure went well and I am doing great. xo, Olive

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good Morning Oliver, I am so pleased to hear your operation went well. I hope you are putting your feet up and giving yourself time to recover.
      I love Harry's accent, it is smooth as butter and I agree his smile is definitely swoon worthy.
      Actually I did think of you when I was making this dish, as I know you are vegetarian, so I am thrilled that you like the recipe.
      Remember, keep those feet up.
      Best Wishes
      Daphne

      Delete
  6. Well, Now I am hungry, too. That sounds absolutely wonderful! xo Diana

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good Morning Diana, Oh no, your hungry! Quick reach for the onion and start chopping! Only joking. I am glad you enjoyed the recipe, it really is quick and easy to prepare.
      Enjoy your day.
      Best Wishes
      Daphne

      Delete
  7. Replies
    1. Good Morning Marianne, Yes this spaghetti dish is really delicious and in cooking terms it is what I consider fast food..... but food which is good for you.
      Thank you for popping by.
      Best Wishes
      Daphne

      Delete
  8. those are great pictures
    as hungry as you was ,you had time to take pictures ? LOL
    that does look really tasty
    I was hungry for pasta last week and could have used your
    recipe then .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good Morning Janice, You would have laughed if you had seen me taking the photos. It was, heat water, chop onion....take photograph, put spaghetti in hot water, grate garlic, take photograph..... salt, chilli and black pepper onto board.... take photograph and so it went on. I took about 4 photographs of each ingredient, to make sure I had a good photograph and do you know it was almost always the first photograph which was the best.
      By the end of it, I needed to sit down and relax and eat my spaghetti. It did take a little longer than twenty minutes as I had to take photographs, but when I make this spaghetti on a normal day, with no photographs, it is a very simple dish to make and does take about twenty minutes. I know the ingredients so well, that I don't need to weigh them.
      I am so pleased you enjoyed the pictures and the recipe.
      Best Wishes
      Daphne

      Delete
  9. Thanks Daphne, I love your quick easy meals. I do something very similiar. The red onion is sweet and gives a totaly different taste to the pasta. It's true the fewer the ingredients the tastier it is. Now I'm back home, I'll be sorting out my store cupboard so this pasta recipe will certainly be on our table in the next few days.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good Morning Barbara, I love cooking, but I also have days when I don't want to be fussing in the kitchen, I just want to prepare a meal in the shortest possible time. Yes you are right, the red onion gives a lovely sweet flavour.
      I am glad to hear you are back to normal now and that all your visitors have gone. It must feel lovely to be back in your home again.
      Enjoy this recipe.
      Best Wishes to you,
      Daphne

      Delete
  10. This sounds and looks delicious, Daphne! It's making my mouth water. Thank you so much for posting this recipe. I will definitely be trying it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good Morning Haworth, I am so pleased you like the sound of this recipe, it is a simple recipe, but the garlic, black pepper and chilli certainly give it a little added "zing".
      Have a lovely day today.
      Best Wishes
      Daphne

      Delete
  11. Dearest Daphne,
    What a lovely lunch and so fast indeed. I love such simple but delicious meals and using whole wheat spaghetti is making it even a healthy meal.
    Hugs to you,
    Mariette

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good Morning Mariette, Yes, this is really a lovely, fast lunch. Sometimes I will add cherry tomatoes, which I cut in half, other times I will add black olives. It is a simple dish, but one that can be played around with, to add or subtract as your mood takes you.
      I know you enjoy healthy food, so I am really pleased you like the sound of this lunch.
      Best Wishes to you,
      Daphne

      Delete
  12. This looks so incredibly delicious! Daphne, your pictures are gorgeous.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good Morning Brandi, Thank you so much, it is very kind of you to say so. As simple as these ingredients are, it is also a delicious meal and quite a regular in our house.
      Best Wishes
      Daphne

      Delete
  13. love your idea of fast food -- favorites of mine!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good Morning Snap, I'm glad you like the sound of this recipe. It is really fast food, once you get into the rhythm of making it. I hope your days are a little cooler now in your part of the world.
      Best Wishes
      Daphne

      Delete
  14. Daphne, this spaghetti looks so good and healthy. I will have to try this!!

    xoxo
    Denyse

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good Morning Denyse, This is certainly a healthy recipe and so easy to make. You would not imagine, a recipe with so few ingredients would have so much flavour, but it does.
      Enjoy this dish when you make it.
      Best Wishes
      Daphne

      Delete
  15. Daphne...thank you for your lovely comment on my blog www.mysoulfulhome.com. Your Aunt Molly sounds like a wonderful lady & savvy gardener.
    I am so happy to be introduced to your blog. I am now following you through Blog lovin' and have added you through G+ ( still trying to figure all that out! ).
    I think it is funny that we both started out our most recent posts with song lyrics...kindred spirits we may be!
    Have a lovely evening....and hope to have you visit My Soulful Home again very soon.
    Kelly

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good Morning Kelly, Thank you so much for stopping by. Yes Aunt Molly is a mind of information when it comes to gardening. She used to garden a huge garden with her husband. She tended the flowers and my uncle looked after the vegetable plot.
      I know what you mean about G+, it does take some getting used to, but once we get a handle on it, G+ will become second nature.
      Oh yes,I will certainly be popping by to visit you again.
      Enjoy the coming weekend.
      Best Wishes
      Daphne

      Delete
  16. Daphne! Thank you so very much for visiting My Soulful Home & for your lovely comment! Your Aunt Molly sounds wonderful & very savvy about the garden! Mix the "three secrets" for excellent results. I am now following you thru Bloglovin' and have G+ you ( still trying to figure all that out! ) Hope to see you around My Soulful Home again soon!
    (I apologize if this is a repeat comment - I did not think the first one went through properly)
    Kelly

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good Morning Kelly, Please don't worry about repeat comments, this has happened to me before.
      Best Wishes
      Daphne

      Delete
  17. Hey look! I found you! This spaghetti looks delicious.

    I am now following you, too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good Morning Ellen, How wonderful, you tracked me down. Yes, this is really an enjoyable meal and the added bonus is, it is so quick to make. I love cooking, but sometimes I want to whip a quick meal.
      Thank you for stopping by.
      Best Wishes
      Daphne

      Delete
  18. This looks absolutely delicious and is exactly the kind of meal that my husband and I enjoy.

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  19. Quick and easy always works for me. In fact, that will be tonight's dinner as I've been away and don't have much to work with. I could go to the grocery, but, hey, it's raining!
    Thanks so much for your visit and your comment on food photography. From the looks of your photos, you are well on your way to improvement. All any of us can do is keep practicing.

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  20. Hello Daphne,sometimes simple is just the ticket! Thanks for sharing :)

    ReplyDelete

Dear Friends,

It is so wonderful to know you enjoy reading Ivy, Phyllis and Me! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave me a comment. I really do appreciate it.

Best wishes to you.

Daphne

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