Let’s spaghetti outta here

Don’t consider pasta the last resort for supper, says Rachel Allen — try any one of these adventurous twists on the store-cupboard staple for a comforting, delicious meal on a chilly winter evening

We are keen pasta eaters here in our house. When we’ve all been racing around and need a comforting supper with minimal fuss and washing up, pasta often features.

It’s the perfect accompaniment to creamy sauces, smoked salmon or one of my favourites — chorizo; pasta can be the ideal meal-in-a-bowl on a chilly winter’s evening.

The cooking of the pasta is, of course, the key. Boiled in a big pot of salted water until it is just al dente — meaning it still has the tiniest bit of bite — and served with a deliciously good sauce made with great ingredients, this can knock the socks off any supper, no problemo.

Probably the simplest pasta dish of all is the spaghetti with chilli, garlic and parsley recipe, right, but — as is always the case with recipes using minimal ingredients — a bit of care in the cooking is required, as it has nowhere to hide, if you know what I mean.

What you’re looking for is perfectly golden garlic, a gentle chilli warmth and lots of fresh, verdant parsley with beautifully cooked pasta.

A creamy mushroom pasta, far right, is one of the staple suppers in our house, and probably the most comforting. The chorizo brings a lovely meaty bite with

“A creamy mushroom pasta is one of the staple suppers in our house, and probably the most comforting”

its warm, spicy flavour, and the cream acts as a perfect vehicle to coat the pasta, so there is flavour in every forkful.

Gremolata, also far right, is a quick, simple, zesty sauce that originates in the north of Italy. Often served with veal or pork, it’s as happy being tossed through pasta as it is sitting next to meat. Once made, it will keep in the fridge for a few days, and is also great drizzled over pan-fried fish, and potatoes too.