Spaghetti moneghetti

Tam West

When I was cheffing in Monaco I met an American couple who lived in the little neighbouring “suburb” called Moneghetti. I offered to whisk up them a meal one night with whatever they had in the cupboard and fridge, sort of a magic box meal. There was a bag of spaghetti, some fresh tomatoes, a shallot, some cheese and basil.

When asked “what do ya call this dish?” I didn’t have a name for it so we christened it spaghetti Moneghetti. It’s really quick to make and you can use any type of pasta. Remember the real Italian parmesan cheese tastes the best.

Ingredients

400 g	Spaghetti, here I have used eliche giganti - pasta propellers (Main)
3 Tbsp	Olive oil
2 Tbsp	Shallots, finely diced
2 cloves	Garlic, finely sliced
2 large	Tomatoes, vine ripened, diced (Main)
½ cup	Basil leaves
2 Tbsp	Balsamic vinegar
½ cup	Parmesan cheese, grated, Italian is best

Directions

1. Fill a large pot of water, bring to the boil and add 2 tsp salt and a splash of olive oil. Add the pasta and simmer for 11-13 minutes or until al dente — the Italian term used to describe firm to the bite or just cooked. Drain in a colander.
2. While the pasta is cooking, heat a large frying pan with the olive oil. Add the shallot and garlic, then gently fry on a medium heat for 3 minutes.
3. Remove the pan from the heat and add tomatoes. Place the pasta back into the pan then add ¾ of the basil leaves, sliced, and the balsamic. Season with salt and pepper.
4. To serve, divide pasta into four pre-warmed bowls. Garnish with remaining basil leaves and sprinkle over grated parmesan.

More lighter pasta recipes from Geoff

• Ramen noodles with haloumi and pesto
• Papardelle with seasonal greens and herbs