10-minute tomato and mojo verde spaghetti
A zingy spaghetti sauce that requires no cooking whatsoever
What happened to June?
In the rush to make the most of the month that finally signalled a return to sunny morning cycles into work, evenings in canal-side beer gardens and light jacket season, it appears to be July already. So, in a bid to catch up and make the most of all the seasonal goodies summertime brings, I’m bringing you a tomato recipe inspired by a dish I had last week at the Towpath Cafe.
The combination of thinly sliced tomatoes with the spicy, tangy, garlicky mojo verde was a revelation to me. Atop a slice of olive-oil drenched sourdough toast, it made for the perfect light brunch alongside a much-needed coffee, feeling slightly smug that your friend has managed to bag you a table during a busy Sunday morning breakfast service.
So, when I found myself cooking for one this week, I decided that a dinnertime version of this flavour combination was on the cards. This recipe is also in part inspired by a raw tomato sauce with loads of garlic, basil and EVOO made for me by a friend a few summers ago. I love the idea of a pasta sauce that involves no cooking whatsoever. It’s got that throw-it-together feel of casual summer eating, and means you don’t need to wash up another pot, which is a cause very close to my heart.
Tomato and mojo verde spaghetti
Serves one
80g spaghetti
100g ripe cherry tomatoes
15g fresh coriander
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1 clove of garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon sherry or white wine vinegar
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (plus extra to serve)
Fill a small lidded saucepan with water and a generous pinch of salt, then set it on the hob on a high heat and bring to the boil. Once boiling, add your spaghetti and cook for 8-10 minutes until al dente.
While the pasta is boiling, quarter your cherry tomatoes and prepare the mojo verde. Add the coriander, garlic, cumin, vinegar, olive oil and a pinch of salt to a mini food processor and whizz until it looks like pesto. If it’s not blending smoothly, drizzle in a little more olive oil or a splash of water.
When your spaghetti is cooked, turn off the heat, drain it, leaving behind a little pasta water to create a silky sauce. Return the pan to the hob (still off the heat) and tip the tomatoes into the pan along with the mojo verde. Stir to bring together and warm through, season to taste, and serve.
While this recipe is the perfect thing to make just for yourself when you’ve only got 10 minutes worth of cooking in you, it would also be a brilliant low-maintenance dinner party main for friends. You’ll just need a couple of fun extras to make it shine.
Little gem, lemon and coriander salad
Every silky, olive oil-laden pasta needs a fresh salad to accompany it. Let’s keep things low-effort with this one and do my favourite kind of salad: green leaves with an in-the-bowl dressing. Fill a salad bowl with baby gem or chopped romain lettuce leaves, squeeze over the juice of 1/2 a lemon, a small drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a splash of white wine vinegar. Some leftover fresh coriander leaves would be a nice touch too, along with some diced shallot.
Mint and basil mojitos
I know a mojito isn’t the natural companion for a spaghetti feast, but it’s really easy to make in a jug for lots of people, and the basil ties together the Italian/Latin American vibes of the meal. Switch out half the mint in a classic mojito recipe (I like this one) for basil, and don’t skimp on the limes.
This is the part of the newsletter where I tell you about what I’ve been making at home, or what’s been generously cooked for me by someone else.
A breakfast
My current breakfast obsession is avocado on toast. No, it’s not new. In fact, it’s barely interesting. However, I’ve been on an egg hiatus ever since an unfortunate fried egg sandwich incident a couple of weeks ago, so I’m back on the avo hype once more. I like to smash mine straight onto the toast, top with a little salt, lemon or lime juice, chilli flakes and feta. Pickled red onions are also welcome.
A meal out
Unexpected downpours this week promoted a picnic plan to relocate to warming Vietnamese mecca - Kingsland Road. For me, a visit to Tay Doh Cafe means ordering my favourite chilli, lemongrass and coconut vermicelli noodles with tofu. It’s got the lip-coating creaminess, fragrance and great thwack of chilli that convinces you for a an hour or so that it might have illness-curing, mood-boosting properties.
A dinner for hot weather
When it’s hot, the last thing I want to do is turn on the oven. It makes the temperature in my flat increase from passable to unbearable, so I’ve been relying on Ixta Belfrage’s recipe for mackerel udon a lot these past few weeks. It’s essentially an udon noodle salad with limey quick-pickled cucumbers and tinned mackerel, and it’s completely delicious. You can find it in her new book, Mezcla.