April 7th: spaghettini al pomodore e basilico

I didn't work on Tuesday, so Monday night I had time to watch Eat, Pray, Love when Greg and I came across it just as it was starting. I saw it earlier this year on a plane, but watching a movie on a plane is not ideal, so I was happy to see it again, but not disappointed when I fell asleep during the movie. I had already been thinking pasta for tonight, but the movie, with its scenes of Italian pizzas, pastas, coffee and napoleans, encouraged me to follow through.

I picked up a cookbook I have that I haven't tried out: Antonio Carluccio's Simple Cooking and made spaghettini al pomodore e basilico (spaghettini with tomatoes and basil). I made this while talking on the phone with Mom and Dad, so of course I made a mistake: I didn't realize the tomatoes were supposed to be chopped until the time I was ready to put them in the pan, so I quickly sliced them all in half. I think if I had chopped them up they may have broken down a bit more and formed more of a sauce, which would have been a good thing, but it was a good dish either way.

spaghettini al pomodore e basilico

100 g spaghettini

1 garlic clove, peeled and sliced

2 tbsp olive oil

100 g cherry tomatoes, chopped

5 basil leaves, shredded

salt and pepper

extra virgin olive oil

Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water in a large saucepan until al dente, about 6 minutes.

Meanwhile, fry the garlic in the oil over medium-low heat until soft but not brown, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and basil and cook for a few more minutes. Season if desired.

Drain the pasta, add to the sauce, mix well and serve, drizzled with a little extra virgin olive oil.

Serves 1 (multiply as needed)

Best line from Eat, Pray, Love: "Having a baby is like getting a tattoo on your face. You really need to be certain it's what you want before you commit."