Nigella Lawson is known for creating some of the most comforting recipes, perfect for when you need a little pick-me-up. Private chef Andrew Richardson, who goes by Andrew in the Alps on TikTok, hailed one of the chef’s pasta recipes as the best to ‘soothe the soul’, especially when dealing with a hangover.
It uses an unconventional ingredient to pack a salty punch, but it may divide the crowd. Andrew said: “This recipe will truly infuriate any Italian, but I think it’s delicious.” So what makes this Nigella recipe so divisive? Marmite.
However, if you’re after a comforting recipe that will help “soothe the soul”, Andrew believes this dish will do just that.
When discussing the flavour combination, Nigella said: “I know the combination of pasta and Marmite sounds odd to the point of unfeasibility, but wait a moment, there is a traditional day-after-the-roast pasta dish, in which spaghetti is tossed in stock.
“And I have eaten shortcut versions of this in Italy (recreated guiltlessly in my own kitchen) which use a crumbled stock cube, along with some butter, olive oil, chopped rosemary and a little of the pasta cooking water to make a flavoursome sauce for spaghetti.
“If you think about it, Marmite offers saltiness and savouriness the way a stock cube might.”
Andrew continued: “Mmm everytime.. That is cracking if you like Marmite and you like pasta and butter and Parmesan, you’ll love this. I’d love to eat Marmite spaghetti with Nigella one day. You can only hope and dream.”
Fellow pasta fans also shared their love for Nigella’s recipe, even some Italian fans. T said: “Hey, Italian watching this video – Nigella ROCKS and this pasta sounds delish (I mean butter cheese and yeast extract? Yes).”
Bob agreed: “Love! Been making this for years since I saw it on Nigellas tv series, always use penne tho, loads of butter & loads of grated cheese on top…lush. Great hangover food!”
So if you’re after a no-fuss, comforting pasta recipe, this is what you’ll need.
Nigella’s Spaghetti with Marmite
Ingredients
- 375 grams spaghetti
- 50 grams unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon Marmite or Vegemite, or more to taste
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, to serve
Method
Cook the spaghetti in plenty of boiling salted water, according to the packet instructions.
When the pasta is almost cooked, melt the butter in a small saucepan and add the Marmite/Vegemite and one tablespoon of the pasta water, mixing thoroughly to dissolve.
Reserve half a cup of pasta water; then drain the pasta and pour the Marmite/Vegemite mixture over the drained spaghetti, adding a little reserved pasta water to amalgamate if required.
Serve with plenty of grated Parmesan cheese.