Recipe from Nigella Lawson
This deliciously quick and easy recipe is the perfect mid-week option. If you are not a traditional anchovy enthusiast, we recommend trying this dish before deciding; they simply add a hint of the sea to the sauce. Using the short gemelli pasta, which translates as ‘twins’ is from the Italian region of Puglia and is made up of a single strand of dough, twisted into a double-helix shaped spiral. Often used in summery pasta salads, this pasta shape is well worth seeking out! If you can’t find these twisted delights, you can easily swap them out for casarecce.
Serves 2
Prep time: 20 mins
Calories per serving: 538
Nigella's Gemelli Pasta Recipe
Ingredients:
- 175g gemelli pasta
- sea salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 6 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
- 1 large garlic clove, crushed and finely chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon dried chilli flakes (or more dependent on how spicy you like it!)
- 150g halved cherry tomatoes
- 4 tablespoons dry white vermouth (or dry white wine is fine)
- 2 generous tablespoons mascarpone
- 1 tablespoon Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated (if you’re less keen on anchovies you can up the quantity of cheese to balance it out more)
- 2 tablespoons fresh flatleaf parsley, finely chopped
Method:
- Put a large pan of generously salted water onto boil and prep your ingredients while you wait.
- Once the water is boiling, add in your pasta and cook per the cooking instructions until al dente. The general rule of thumb is to check the pasta at least 2 minutes before the given cooking time.
- While your pasta is cooking, add the olive oil and chopped anchovies to a large pan over a medium heat, stirring continuously. The anchovies should begin to dissolve into a sort of paste. This should take 1-2 minutes.
- Next, turn the heat up slightly and add your garlic, chilli flakes and halved tomatoes. Take caution when turning up the heat so as not to burn the garlic. Stir until the tomatoes begin to soften.
- Then add in the vermouth, stirring for a further 2-3 minutes as the tomatoes dissolve further forming a thicker sauce consistency.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the mascarpone followed by the parmesan and parsley once melted.
- Before draining the pasta, be sure to reserve some of the pasta water. Add the pasta to the sauce with 1-2 tablespoons of the pasta water as needed and mix well until evenly coated.
- Finish with a sprinkling more of parmesan and serve immediately. Buon Appetito!
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