Hey guys,

Hope you all had a lovely weekend?

It’s been snowing again in London. And you know how much I hate the snow. Ugh. I just can’t. I’m dreaming of warmer and sunnier days. Spring, can you just stop being such a tease already?! A week or so ago I realised I was leaving work when it was still semi-light outside and that really brightened up my evening. I’m so ready for daylight savings to kick in that I’m not even bitter about losing an hour of sleep. Well, almost.

Anyway, today’s recipe is perfect for cold snow days. (Or, if you ask me, any day. I looooove me some pasta!) But seriously, it’s the perfect carby, winter comfort food that, I promise, will put a smile on your face and momentarily make you forget about how horribly cold it is out there.

Gah. Just look at this slurp-worthy goodness.

 

^ Definitely ate some straight out of the pan. So freaking good.

A tangled pile of al dente tagliatelle, tossed in a rich, creamy tomato sauce, topped with fresh parsley and parmesan shavings. I mean… What’s not to love?!

Seriously though, this is such a crowd pleaser. Serve up with a chunky slice of buttery garlic bread and an ice cold sparkling water with a slice of lemon and suddenly, you’ll be everyone’s new favourite. ❤

– Kay

Ingredients (serves 4) 

• Olive oil
• 1 tbsp salted butter
• 1 medium white onion, diced into small chunks
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 x 500g carton of passata
• 1 tsp dried Italian herbs (I often use 1/3tsp oregano, 1/3 tsp basil, 1/3 tsp parsley)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 crumbled vegetable oxo cube
• 300g dried tagliatelle
• 200ml double cream
• Fresh parsley/basil, finely chopped
• Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Place a non-stick frying pan on a medium heat and add olive oil and butter. Wait till the butter melts, swirl together and then add onions.
2. Sweat onions down until transparent and soft, stirring occasionally.
3. Add garlic, and stir through for 30seconds until fragrant then add the passata.
4. Use the passata carton and fill with cold tap water and add to the pan. Repeat once more so you have a 1:2 ratio of passata to water in the pan.
5. Add salt, pepper, sugar, oxo cube and dried herbs to pan and stir, mixing well.
6. Bring the mixture up to a low simmer – usually, a medium heat is ideal for this.
7. Cook down for 1hr, until sauce becomes thick and rich, stirring every five or so minutes. Don’t try and speed this bit up. It just won’t be the same!
8. When the sauce is nearly done, boil the pasta in salted water according to the instructions on the packet. You want it nice and al dente.
9. Once done, add the pasta and double cream to the sauce and stir to combine. If the sauce needs loosening out a little, add a little of the hot salty starchy pasta water.
10. Top with fresh herbs and parmesan before serving. I recommend a nice thick slice of garlic bread with it to mop up all the delicious sauce!