| Spaghettini with garlic, chilli & parsley

This was always a favourite with the staff at The River Café. Cook the garlic just enough so it’s not too powerful (don’t let it colour) and use mild chillies so they don’t overpower the other ingredients. I find the older I get, the more bite I enjoy in my pasta. Cook the spaghettini so it’s properly al dente — for these fine strands, that means a good two minutes less than suggested on the packet.

SERVES: 4 TAKES: 15 MINS

INGREDIENTS

4 tbsp olive oil

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

2 mild red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped 500g spaghettini

100g parmesan, finely grated, to serve (optional)

METHOD

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan set over a low heat. Add the garlic and chillies and cook gently for 30 seconds until the garlic is soft but has no colour. Add the parsley and cook for 1 min more. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the spaghettini and boil for 2 mins less than the packet cooking time, then use tongs to transfer the pasta to the frying pan with the garlic, parsley and chilli. Add a ladleful of the pasta cooking water, then set the frying pan over a low heat and cook for 2 mins until the pasta is coated with the chilli, parsley and garlic. Season.

Serve in warmed pasta bowls and sprinkle with plenty of grated parmesan, if you like.