Bucatini with spinach and garlic
There's a good chance you've already got the ingredients for this dish at home
Looking for a simple but satisfying supper? Try this bucatini dish with spinach and garlic
Serves 4
For the bucatini
- Dried bucatini or spaghetti 400g
- Garlic 5 large cloves, thinly sliced
- Extra virgin olive oil 5 tbsp, plus extra to serve
- Baby spinach 600g
- Fresh basil a small bunch
- Pine nuts 60g
- Parmesan 90g, freshly grated (alternatively, use a vegetarian parmesan-style cheese)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to the boil. Add the bucatini or spaghetti and cook for 1 minute less than the packet instructions.
- Place the garlic in a frying pan with 2 tablespoons of oil. Heat over a medium-high heat and, just as the garlic starts to sizzle, add the spinach. Fry until wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Scoop out a mugful of the pasta cooking water. Place the garlic, spinach, basil leaves, pine nuts, parmesan, remaining oil and some pepper in a food processor, along with a splash of the reserved pasta water, and purée into a smooth sauce. If it is too dry and claggy, add a splash more of the pasta water until you’re happy with the consistency. Place the sauce back in the frying pan and keep warm over a low heat.
- When the pasta is ready, drain, reserving another cupful of the cooking water, then transfer the pasta to the frying pan. Cook for another 1–2 minutes, tossing and stirring continuously, until the sauce starts to cling to the bucatini. If it becomes too thick, add some more pasta water.
- Transfer to four bowls, drizzle with a little extra olive oil and grate over extra parmesan. Crack over a bit more black pepper for good measure.
Recipe featured in LEON Happy Fast Food by Rebecca Seal, Jack Burke and John Vincent. Published by Conran Octopus, photography by Steven Joyce. £16.99
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You will need
For the bucatini
- Dried bucatini or spaghetti 400g
- Garlic 5 large cloves, thinly sliced
- Extra virgin olive oil 5 tbsp, plus extra to serve
- Baby spinach 600g
- Fresh basil a small bunch
- Pine nuts 60g
- Parmesan 90g, freshly grated (alternatively, use a vegetarian parmesan-style cheese)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to the boil. Add the bucatini or spaghetti and cook for 1 minute less than the packet instructions.
- Place the garlic in a frying pan with 2 tablespoons of oil. Heat over a medium-high heat and, just as the garlic starts to sizzle, add the spinach. Fry until wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Scoop out a mugful of the pasta cooking water. Place the garlic, spinach, basil leaves, pine nuts, parmesan, remaining oil and some pepper in a food processor, along with a splash of the reserved pasta water, and purée into a smooth sauce. If it is too dry and claggy, add a splash more of the pasta water until you’re happy with the consistency. Place the sauce back in the frying pan and keep warm over a low heat.
- When the pasta is ready, drain, reserving another cupful of the cooking water, then transfer the pasta to the frying pan. Cook for another 1–2 minutes, tossing and stirring continuously, until the sauce starts to cling to the bucatini. If it becomes too thick, add some more pasta water.
- Transfer to four bowls, drizzle with a little extra olive oil and grate over extra parmesan. Crack over a bit more black pepper for good measure.
Recipe featured in LEON Happy Fast Food by Rebecca Seal, Jack Burke and John Vincent. Published by Conran Octopus, photography by Steven Joyce. £16.99
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