Creamy Tomato & Mascarpone Spaghettini

Published by

Jasmine

on

This pasta is delicious decadence for me! It’s so simple in terms of ingredients and quick to pull together, but tastes amazing and fragrant. I guess it goes to show that with quality ingredients, you don’t always have to do a lot! And, if you want a fresh and healthy side to go with this, my Fennel, Rocket & Blood Orange side salad is perfect.

INGREDIENTS

Pasta:

Dried spaghettini (a thinner form of spaghetti – spaghetti, tagliatelle or linguine will also work, just make sure you use a high-quality product)

Sauce:

Olive oil and butter (for a creamy combination)

Baby plum tomatoes (or cherry tomatoes)

Garlic

Mascarpone cheese

Italian hard cheese (Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino, or a rennet-free alternative)

Toppings:

Unwaxed lemon (juice and zest)

Fresh basil

TIPS & NOTES

This is a simple recipe but there are a few elements of technique to bear in mind. Firstly, you want to use a rough-textured, high-quality bronze die cut pasta; firstly, it’s better for you, but also because it will release more starch and create a creamier, more cohesive sauce. You also want to add your cheeses and pasta water at a low temperature (or you can even kill the heat source entirely and rely on residual heat), this helps things melt but not separate out.

Tomato & Marscapone Spaghettini

  • Servings: 2-3
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Print

A simple yet delicious pasta with seasonal tomatoes

No special equipment or advance prep needed


Ingredients

  • 200g baby plum tomatoes
  • 2 cloves of garlic (chopped or crushed)
  • 150g dried spaghettini
  • 100g of mascarpone cheese
  • 30g of Italian hard cheese (finely grated)
  • Juice and zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
  • A small handful of fresh basil (optional: stack the leaves, roll them into a small package and cut into ribbons)
  • A drizzle or two of olive oil
  • A small knob of butter
  • Salt and pepper to taste


Directions

  1. Boil the kettle
  2. In a lidded, wide-based pan, melt the butter into the olive oil over a medium heat, add the garlic and sauté for a couple of minutes until fragrant before adding the tomatoes, seasoning with salt and pepper
  3. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover to cook for 10-15 minutes until the tomatoes soften and release juices (add a splash of pasta water, if needed, to stop burning / sticking)
  4. Meanwhile, add the boiling water to a lidded saucepan, salt generously and bring to a rolling boil before adding the pasta and cooking al dente (e.g. if the pack instructions note a 10-minute cook time, cook for 8 minutes)
  5. Once the pasta is cooked, add it to the pan with the saucy tomates, add a splash of pasta water and toss together
  6. Reduce the heat to a very low level and add the mascarpone and most of the Italian hard cheese (reserve a little to garnish), toss together and adjust the consistency with pasta water as needed
  7. Add the lemon juice
  8. Serve topped with the reserved cheese, lemon zest, basil and optional: an extra drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil

Let me know if you try this pasta recipe!

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