Easy recipes: Meghan Markle's one-pan spaghetti
“What are we eating today?” It's probably the most asked question in the world. After a day full of hustle and bustle, running from place to place with an overflowing agenda, you really don't feel like spending hours in the kitchen. We understand that. You want to whip up something delicious that isn't just a quick bite, but also doesn't take hours to prepare. Because while we all sometimes crave a quick meal, you also don't want to settle for a boring, quickly made meal every day. Luckily, I have something for you! In the section ‘Easy recipes of the week‘, we search every Monday for the fastest, easiest, and tastiest recipes that you can put on the table in no time. This week: Meghan Markle's spaghetti.
Hello. Are you still there? Or have you already succumbed to the Christmas rush? Yes, this may be the ‘most wonderful time of the year’, but it's quite a busy time. Sometimes I think I'm really going crazy: you're drowning in cardboard boxes from all the packages you order (because yes, where do you put those again?), there's a used roll of wrapping paper lying in every unexpected place, and those groceries? Yes... Don't talk to me about that. With those elaborate Christmas dinners, I've (and you probably too) gotten deeply entangled in complicated recipes and ‘bigger is always better’ table arrangements. So yes: I don't feel like spending hours in the kitchen in the days leading up to Christmas. That's what the Christmas days are for, right? Exactly. So I understand you: you don't want a difficult Monday evening. You want a real easy meal. And that's what you get. This pasta from the Duchess of Sussex is so easy, you just make it in one pan.
The shopping list (for ± 2 people)
- 950 ml water
- 450 grams cherry tomatoes
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons of salt
- 225 grams spaghetti
- Pinch of chili flakes
- 1 lemon
- 150 grams leafy greens (spinach, arugula, and possibly Swiss chard)
- 50 grams grated Parmesan cheese
- Fresh basil leaves to taste
The preparation
Step 1: Everything in the pan and boil that water
You wanted easy? Then you get easy. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half. Let the water in a pot or – even better – in your kettle heat up until it boils. Grab a large pot, and literally just throw everything in: the cherry tomatoes, the garlic – which you can either crush or chop – the herbs, and the pasta. Yes, you heard it right: the pasta goes in now. And not pre-cooked, but raw pasta. Now all the Italians are probably getting angry, but this is just the recipe. Don't shoot the messenger, okay? Finally, grate the peel of 1 lemon, and then we put the pot on the heat.
Step 2: Boil everything
Add the boiled water to your pot until the pasta is submerged. Put the lid on and let it boil well for six minutes. Then remove the lid and let it sit for another four minutes. Stir it afterwards and add the arugula, spinach, and Swiss chard leaves. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over it and stir everything extra well. Let this sit for a moment without the lid, until the pasta is al dente and you have a creamy sauce. If the sauce isn't thickening? Then you either need to let it sit longer (but then you'll get soft pasta – so don't do that!) or add a little cornstarch. Serve it in a bowl or a deep plate, sprinkle some fresh basil leaves on top, and dive right in. This spaghetti is so simple, but so delicious. It's literally one thing to cut and the rest you just throw together. It can't get easier than that, right?
I know what I'm putting on the table when I get home tonight. Then I still have time to wrap that stack of packages. As if I feel like going all out just before Christmas. Nope. Enjoy your meal.
