One-pan Pasta

There are plenty of simple pasta recipes where you can just glug in some olive oil, add garlic, fry up some meat, cook up some pasta, add in some vegetables, stir it all together and end up with a delicious bowl of pasta in your hands. This recipe (actually called ‘First Night in Florence Spaghetti’ and taken from food52.com) requires a bit more finesse, but comprise ingredients any pasta-enthusiast would most likely already have in their cupboards.

Ingredients

250g spaghetti

Sea salt

Olive oil

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 can tuna packed in olive oil, not drained

Handful of spinach leaves

Juice of ½ a lemon

Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Heat a large pot of generously salted water and cook your spaghetti, setting a timer for three minutes less than the recommended cooking time 2. Set a pan to medium high heat and add in a good amount of olive oil (about two or three times more than you’re comfortable with) 3. When the olive oil is hot, add the tomatoes, turning the heat down if the tomatoes start to spatter 4. When the tomatoes have softened, add the garlic 5. When it begins to get fragrant, add the tuna (do not drain, add with the oil), breaking up large chunks with a wooden spoon 6. Turn down heat and allow to simmer 7. Once the pasta is cooked, use tongs to lift out of the boiling water and drop directly into the pan, adding a few ladles of pasta water 7. Mix pasta, water, tomatoes and garlic before tossing in spinach and add lemon juice 8. Cook until spinach is wilted and season with salt and pepper 9. Grate Parmesan cheese on top

Word to the wise: As in any Italian (though this applies to any cuisine) dish, quality ingredients will elevate this simple pasta dish into a truly worthy one. Use good olive oil, a good brand of tuna, quality Parmesan and plump cherry tomatoes, if at all possible.