We have all heard about people buying pasta by the kg but having bought it – what next?
The simple way to eat pasta is to cook it, stir in some pesto sauce, and sprinkle with grated Parmesan. Or else heat up a jar of pasta sauce to stir into cooked pasta.
But what do you do if you don’t have a jar of pasta sauce? Or else made too much pasta and have a big pot of it left over?
The first time I saw someone eating spaghetti and fried egg was back in the early 1970s (in the days when British expectations of pasta was limited to spag-bol and mac-cheese!)
I was at a camp site in the Black Forest and an Italian couple had pitched next to us. I watched fascinated as they cooked. The woman offered me a taste of the mix and it was rather good! (See quick recipe at the bottom section.)
Here is a variation on a traditional pasta dish that takes minutes to cook and is about as simple as it comes.
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 crushed garlic cloves (optional)
- 6 eggs, beaten
- 1 teaspoon water
- a dash crushed red peppers, chilli powder (go easy!) or else a splash of chilli sauce. Be sparing to start with whatever your choice – you can always add a little more later.
- freshly ground black pepper
- 250 gms of cooked pasta (any kind; durum wheat, corn, buckwheat, rice – your choice)
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese (Parmesan is traditional but any strong cheese will do, though you may need a little more than 2 tbls to get the same flavour)
Method
- Beat eggs, water, and red pepper flakes together.
- Put butter and olive oil in a non-stick pan.
- Heat over medium-low heat until the butter melts.
- When the oil is hot, add the garlic and let it cook for a few moments but being careful not to let it burn!
- Pour in the eggs and cook gently, stirring well as they cook.
- When the eggs start to firm up, add the pasta.
- Stir to coat pasta thoroughly.
- Sprinkle in cheese and black pepper.
- Continue to cook until pasta is heated and eggs are cooked to your preference
Alternatively:
- Fry whole eggs until almost cooked.
- break them up and add to pasta .
- This method can use fewer eggs and works well with spaghetti.
- For the carnivores among you add some crisp fried bacon pieces or some chopped ham at stage 9.
Note: illos used are stock photos