[Recipe]: ABC Pasta.

If you have clicked on this blog post in confusion, curiosity, accidentally or just hoping this is some kind of educational meal for young children. You have come to the wrong place. In other words ABC Pasta is a three ‘sauce’ pasta dish:

• Arrabiata
• Balsamic
• Carbonara/cream

It’s another one of my 20 minute pasta dishes which I conjured for lunch today; it made a satisfying change in comparison to standard tomato based pasta sauces.

Ingredients (serves 2):

• A pasta of your choice (I prefer Fusilli or Conchiglie),
• Half of a white onion,
• 1 garlic clove,
• Arrabiata sauce,
• Balsamic vinegar,
• Carbonara sauce or single thickness cream,
• Half of a green or red chilli,
• Sea salt,
• Extra virgin olive oil,
• Sichuan pepper,
• Dried, Italian mixed herbs.

Recipe:

1. In a small saucepan boil 2 and a half handfuls of your selected pasta; do not add any oil as this will prevent the condiments from adhering to the pasta later on. Simply lightly season the water with a pinch of sea salt or low-salt.
2. Meanwhile crush and chop the garlic along with half of white onion (sliced not diced) and half of a deseeded green or red chilli: add these to a shallow medium sized frying pan with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
3. As the pasta continues to boil, on a gentle heat fry the garlic and other ingredients that have already been placed into the frying pan.
4. When the garlic and onion begin to become golden and glossy, sprinkle in a tiny amount of sea salt and Sichuan pepper. Stir well at regular intervals.
5. By now the pasta should be al dente; carefully drain all of the the water from the pasta with a colander. Set to one side just for a few minutes.
6. Into the same frying pan add 3 tablespoons of arrabiata sauce, 1 tablespoon of carbonara or cream and 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar. Mix the liquid components together.
7. Tip the drained pasta into the frying pan. Stir everything well to ensure every piece of pasta is well coated in the sauce. Cook for a further 30-40 seconds so that the sauce slightly thickens and sticks to the pasta.
8. When serving, garnish with mixed dried herbs: dried basil and oregano also accompany well as a substitute for dried mixed herbs.

I found that the cream/Carbonara cuts though some of the spiciness of the chilli contained in the arrabiata, whereas the balsamic brings back some bitterness which is lost through the cooking process of tomato based sauces.