Pasta e ceci
40 MINUTES | SERVES 4 | EASY
Napolina Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2 tbsp, plus extra to serve
pancetta 50g, cubed
onion 1, finely chopped
celery stalk 1, finely chopped
carrot 1, chopped
garlic cloves 2, 1 crushed
sage leaves 6
Napolina Double Concentrate Tomato Purée 1 tbsp, diluted in 2tbsp of the vegetable stock
Napolina Chickpeas 400g tin
vegetable stock 1litre
Napolina Spaghetti 200g, broken into small pieces
parmesan rind 50g, cubed
ciabatta 4 slices
red onion ½, finely sliced
parsley small bunch, chopped, to serve
1 Heat the olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat, then add the pancetta and gently fry for 1 min. Add the onion, celery, carrot, crushed garlic and sage leaves, then fry for another 2 mins until softened. Stir in the diluted tomato purée and the chickpeas, including the water from the can, then add the vegetable stock and some salt. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and cover the pan with a lid. Leave to simmer for 10 mins.
2 Turn the heat back up and add the broken spaghetti. Leave on a high heat for 10 mins or until the pasta is cooked, then remove and stir in the parmesan, before placing the lid back on and leaving the mixture to rest for 3 mins, or until the parmesan has melted. Meanwhile, toast the bread, then rub each slice with the remaining garlic clove and drizzle over some olive oil. To serve, top each portion of pasta red onion and parsley, plus a generous drizzle of the olive oil. Season to taste.
PER SERVING 445 kcals | fat 15.8G saturates 4.6G | carbs 54.9G | sugars 8.3G fibre 8.6G | protein 19.1G | salt 1.24G
£1.30/500g
Very smooth feel but a nice thickness. A very light wheat flavour but overall a little plain tasting. The sauce clings fairly well, and it has a pleasing texture but is let down by a lack of flavour.
De Cecco Spaghetti No 12
£1/500g
A good classic yellow colour once cooked but the pasta lacks flavour. The sauce clings quite well, although the spaghetti is smooth, so much of it slips off while eaten.
Garofalo Spaghetti Alla Chitarra
£2.49/500g
Nice thick, golden coloured strands. Has a light roughness to the outside, too. A more prononounced wheat flavour than most but not overly distinct. A good clinger and a nice chewy texture.
Sanmartí Spaghetti
£2.49/250g
This spaghetti is noticeably thinner than other brands. You can see little flecks of wheat in the pasta and, once cooked, it has a very good wheaty flavour. It lacks some clinginess, so this would be best used in a chicken noodle soup or with a delicate crab, lemon and chilli sauce.
Biona Organic Italian Spaghetti
£2.69/500g Looks very pale in the pack but is less so once cooked. This pasta is bronze cut and, even pre-cooked, you can see how rough the surface of the pasta is. Little discernible flavour when eaten alone but is an excellent sauce clinger once tossed through.
Rummo Spaghetti No 3
£2.20/500g Bronze cut with a deep golden wheat colour. Eaten alone it has a light wheat flavour and is a great sauce clinger. This spaghetti has a pleasing artisan roughness in the mouthfeel. The perfect pasta for a light tomato sauce – each complements the other.