I love this method of cooking pasta so much. It’s easier, it’s quicker, and it makes the end result so much richer and creamier when you don’t drain out the starches with the cooking water. Yeah yeah, its starchier. But you’re already eating pasta, what’s a little extra starch, right..? π
INGREDIENTS
1 packet pasta of choice (we use spaghetti)
1 jar vegan Persian Feta – half to add into the dish, half set aside for serving
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
5-6 large tomatoes, chopped
Large handful greens, chopped if larges leaves (we used silverbeet from the garden)
Water (double the amount of your pasta packet – i.e. if pasta is 500g, water should be 1000g)
Fresh basil – half chopped to add into the pasta, half set aside for serving
Chilli if desired, to taste
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
METHOD
Break spaghetti in half and put into a large pot. Pour over a generous amount of olive oil and mix the oil over / around the noodles with your hands (aside from adding to the richness and flavour of the dish, the oil will stop the noodles from sticking together whilst cooking). Once noodles are roughly coated in the oil, turn the stove to high heat, add all other ingredients to the pot. Lastly pour over the water, give the pot a little jiggle to make sure the water has seeped all around the noodles, and cover with a lid and bring to a boil
Once boiling, turn the heat down to medium and give a gentle stir to loosen the noodles from each other and begin to distribute the other ingredients. Continue to gently stir regularly until pasta is ‘al dente’. My husband likes to throw pasta on the roof to know if it is al dente or not – if it sticks, its perfect (not even joking!!) πππ
Once pasta is cooked give it a final stir to mix everything together evenly. Serve with extra Persian Feta and fresh basil leaves