This spaghetti recipe is a traditional Italian recipe which is like a lot of Italian recipes, it’s really simple but nails it with its flavours. I bought my mushrooms at Morrison’s as they have a brilliant selection of veg, fruit and herbs. The spaghetti al nero I got from my local Italian deli, but it’s equally good with standard spaghetti. It’s essentially vegan except for the spaghetti al nero which is made with squid ink, so to get the same vibe you could use black rice noodles. For the Parmesan lovers like myself, you can add lots of freshly grated Parmesan. If you’re vegan or vegetarian, you can find a vegan parmesan in your local supermarket or health food shop.

It’s perfect for a dinner party served with a salad and some crusty bread or for a date night as it looks really beautiful.

Recipe:

Serves 3-4 people

Ingredients:

300g of mixed mushrooms
1/4 cup of olive oil
1/2 a teaspoon of salt
1 clove of garlic minced
a sprig of parsley finely chopped
a sprig of basil
2 pinches of chilli flakes
250g of spaghetti al nero or black rice noodles

How:

Cook the spaghetti according to the instructions on the packet in salted water, I add at least a heaped teaspoon. Drain reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta water for later. Set aside.
In a large frying pan or saucepan, add the olive oil, mushrooms, salt, garlic and chilli flakes. Cook on a medium heat for about 20-25 minutes, I cover the pan for this with a lid. The mushrooms should be very very slightly browning at the end of cooking and not sitting in a lot of liquid, if so, remove the lid till the liquid has evaporated. Add the cooked pasta and the 1/4 cup of pasta water and toss through on a medium heat until the water has gone and it becomes almost creamy. Serve topped with the parsley and basil leaves and Parmesan if desired.

I shop at:
Waitrose
Sainsbury’s
Tesco
Lidl