Three quick spaghetti recipes

Times

31-05-2025

When you're looking to make supper in a hurry, there's nothing quite like a good plate of spaghetti. The sauce needn't be anything more complicated than a drizzle of olive oil with some fresh parsley, finely sliced garlic and a little chilli. Plus, of course, heaps of grated parmesan.
To get more creative, you can make a decent pasta sauce out of pretty much anything: toss in a tin of tuna and add some olive oil, black olives and chunks of fresh, juicy tomato; or black olives, olive oil and salty capers. For something richer, melt a hunk of gorgonzola (or whatever other cheese you like) with a generous splash of cream over a gentle heat and drizzle it over the pasta so it's swimming in thick, creamy cheesy sauce.
The trick to good spaghetti — as with any pasta — is to cook it in very salty water and until al dente: typically that means cooking for less time than it says on the packet, so taste as you go. When you drain the spaghetti, save half a cup or so of the salted cooking water to mix in with the pasta and the sauce: the starch in the water will thicken the sauce to help give it that delectably creamy texture.
Spaghetti with leeks, broad beans and courgettes
I love all the greens here — the mix of sautéed almost-sweet leeks, the buttery beans and the delicate courgettes. You could swap the veggies: add some frozen petits pois (just toss them in with the broad beans) or thinly sliced fennel, which you can fry in the pan with the leeks and courgettes. For even more flavour, think about tossing in some fresh mint, basil, parsley or finely chopped dill.
Serves 4
Ingredients
• 130g frozen broad beans
• 400g spaghetti
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 2 leeks, trimmed and thinly sliced (roughly 220g)
• 150g courgettes, diced
Method
1. Bring a large pan of well- salted water to the boil. When the water begins to gallop, add the broad beans and simmer for 2-3 min until they float to the surface. Then use a slotted spoon to lift them out of the water and set aside.
2. Add the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook al dente as per the packet instructions.
3. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pan. Add the leeks and courgettes, then sauté over a high heat for 2-3 min, until the leeks almost look translucent and the courgettes are nicely coloured.
4. Add the blanched broad beans to the pan together with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and cook for 1-2 min to bring all the flavours together.
5. Drain the pasta in a colander, reserving a little of the cooking water, and toss the spaghetti into the pan together with the vegetables and water. Give everything a good stir to combine the ingredients, season to taste with salt and black pepper, and serve immediately.
Spaghetti with fennel, anchovies and black olives
SKYE MCALPINE
This has a mix of subtle, sweet flavours from the fennel and mint, with punchy, moreish saltiness from the melted anchovies and pungent olives. You could add some torn fresh basil leaves or a little parsley for a more minerally flavour.
Serves 4
Ingredients
• 400g spaghetti
• 2 medium fennel bulbs (roughly 500g)
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 10-12 anchovy fillets
• 100g black olives, pitted and roughly torn
• A small bunch of fresh mint
Method
1. Bring a large pan of well-salted water to the boil. When it begins to gallop, add the spaghetti and cook al dente, as per the packet instructions.
2. Trim the fennel bulbs, reserving the fronds for garnish, and slice thinly.
3. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pan, add the anchovies and fry over a medium-high heat for 1-2 min, until the little fillets have broken down and largely melted into the oil.
4. Add the fennel and fry gently over a medium heat for 4-5 min, until softened and almost translucent.
5. Drain the pasta in a colander, reserving a ladleful of the cooking water. Toss the pasta together with the cooking water and the torn black olives into the pan with the fennel. Give it all a good stir to combine the ingredients.
6. Top with a few torn fresh mint leaves and the raw fennel fronds, then serve immediately.
Spaghetti alla poverella
SKYE MCALPINE
You can and should make this sauce in advance so the flavours have time to intermingle and intensify. Once you have your sauce, toss it through the pasta and serve either warm or at room temperature. And if you have any sauce left over, spoon it onto toasted crusty bread for the most delicious bruschetta.
Serves 4
Ingredients
• 600g baby tomatoes, quartered
• 150g flame-roasted peppers from a jar, sliced into thin strips
• 1 large celery stick (roughly 80g), thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp capers, rinsed
• A small bunch of fresh basil, coarsely chopped
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 400g spaghetti
Method
1. Combine the tomatoes, peppers, celery, capers and basil in a bowl. Add the olive oil and a generous grinding of black pepper, then rest (not in the fridge) overnight or for a couple of hours.
2. Bring a large pan of well- salted water to the boil. When the water begins to gallop, add the spaghetti and cook al dente as per the packet instructions. Drain the pasta in a colander, toss with the sauce, season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.