Somedays, Chubbs takes a lot out of me by late morning, and for lunch, I crave something easy to make, but utterly satisfying, delicious and nutritious at the same time. And for Fuzzy and I, pasta is the ultimate comfort food. I actually get a mild anxiety attack when I'm not stocked with at least three packets of various dried pasta in the pantry :/
I often whip up this simple, light pasta for lunch, which is basically a simple aglio olio, but with ripe cherry tomatoes thrown in for a refreshing sweetness. Many years ago, while waiting tables, I eavesdropped on one of Singapore's top chefs, JQ, when he took time to give an aspiring young chef a tutorial on cooking the perfect aglio olio, after his attempt at the dish turned out disastrous. "1) The garlic must be sauteed till just golden. Not white, not dark brown, just golden. 2) Add just a few slivers of chili, not a handful. You are not cooking mee goreng. If customers ask for it to be super spicy, ask them to go elsewhere for mee goreng. 3) Tear fresh basil leaves with your fingers; if you use a knife, the leaves will bruise and the herb flavour will be flat."
So he went on and demonstrated how it's done. He put in a lot of good extra virgin olive oil and even added a touch of freshly grated parmesan at the end (which I thought was a little weird). After him and the young chef tasted the pasta, he looked at me and said, "You over there... listening so intently. Want to try?" I stood hunched over the kitchen counter, and twirled as much noodle on my fork as possible. It was glorious.
Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes, Basil, Garlic and Chili
Ingredients:-
1 clove of garlic, sliced very finely
Half a red chili, deseeded
A large handful of cherry tomatoes (about 10), halved
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt for seasoning
Spaghetti/ linguine/ vermicelli
A handful of fresh basil
Method:-
1) Cook pasta in very salty water, according to package timing instructions.
2) Saute garlic slivers and chili in a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil till garlic is tender and slightly brown around the edges.
3) Add tomatoes and saute until skin is slightly wrinkled.
4) Add cooked pasta and some of the pasta water. Swirl everything around swiftly so that the water and oil emulsifies into a light sauce. If the pasta looks dry, add a little more cooking water.
5) Season to taste. Scatter with basil leaves. Serve, eat and clean your plate as quickly as possible.
