White wine pasta
Pasta isn’t a big deal in much of the Middle East, although there are some good Iraqi pasta dishes and a few decent Lebanese ones. This isn’t one of them. I’m sending along this lockdown recipe up today because it’s so simple and cheap. Very student flat-ish. If there’s a more straightforward dish to source and prepare, I’m yet to hear of it. But it’s tasty, too.
INGREDIENTS
1 ¼ cup frozen baby peas
2 cloves garlic, crushed
½ cup (70g) pine nuts (or any nuts)
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Handful of mint and basil leaves
¼ cup olive oil
½ cup cream
200g dried pasta
16 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 glasses of reasonably good white wine
METHOD
Cook peas in boiling water for eight or so minutes.
Place 1 cup cooked peas, garlic, pine nuts, parmesan cheese, mint leaves and olive oil into a food processor or blender. Process until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and season to taste with freshly ground black pepper and salt. Stir through cream.
Cook spaghetti according to packet instructions. Drain. To serve, toss pesto through the pasta. Serve garnished with remaining peas and garnish with the cherry tomatoes. Place on kitchen table.
Uncork the wine and pour two glasses, one for you and for your dining companion. If you have no dining companion, then pour one for an imaginary dining companion and drink it after the first glass.