Spaghetti with chilli, garlic and parsley

Serves 3-4 You will need:

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 400g dried spaghetti 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced Half to 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley Squeeze of lemon juice

1 Fill a large saucepan with water, add a couple of teaspoons of sea salt and bring to the boil.

2 Add the pasta and cook it for 10-12 minutes (or follow the instructions on the packet), stirring it occasionally, until it is just tender.

3 Meanwhile, place a large saute pan or frying pan over a high heat, and pour in the extra-virgin olive oil. Allow it to heat up for just a few seconds, then toss in the finely sliced garlic and the finely chopped chilli, and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

4 Cook for just a minute or two until the garlic is starting to become golden, then take the pan off the heat and quickly add in the chopped fresh parsley to stop the garlic overcooking.

5 Drain the now-cooked pasta — don’t rinse it or add any oil — reserving 75ml of the cooking liquid in a jug or bowl; see my Top Tip, right. 6 Put the pan with the garlic, chilli and parsley back on the heat, and add in the drained pasta, along with a few tablespoons of the reserved cooking water.

7 Toss everything together in the pan, adding more cooking water if necessary. Check the seasoning, adding a squeeze of lemon juice to taste, and more sea salt and freshly ground black pepper if needed. Serve immediately.