Sunday 6 October 2013

Pasta with Spicy Olive and Caperberry Sauce














  

My husband says that looking into our pantry is like looking into the matrix... I think he means it makes his brain hurt. This is a typical scene in our kitchen.

Me: Back to the pantry, hands covered in dough. "Could you hand me the light brown sugar please?"
Clint: Opens the pantry door and stands there... and stands there... and stands there. 
Me: "It's near the dark brown sugar, next to the rapadura sugar... on the third shelf from the bottom, to your left."
Clint: Stands there.
Me: "Right in front of you."
Clint: Hands me the demerara sugar.
Me: "That's demerara sugar."
Clint: "There something here called panela sugar?"
Me: "Forget it Neo."

I admit, my pantry is seriously packed to the max. It's crammed with containers, packets, jars, boxes, cans, canisters, tins and bags of all sorts of ordinary and exotic foodstuffs. Things precariously teeter on the edge of shelves, cans are stacked three-deep, and it looks like total chaos. But I know where everything is. Anyway, how else am I going to throw together a tasty meal after being away for two days if I don't have what is tantamount to a small supermarket in my kitchen?

Disclaimer: I have been known, on occasion, to utter the words, "I don't know what we're having for dinner, we haven't got a thing in the house." to which my husband has stared at me slack-jawed.



Pasta with Spicy Olive and Caperberry Sauce
Serves 4

 500g dried pasta (I used Calamarati - I usually use this with sliced baby calamari just to confuse the kids.)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
Chilli paste, to taste (I used 1 teaspoon Ordigno)
About 12 caperberries (small ones kept whole, larger ones sliced)
200g sliced green olives
1 x 400g crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

Put a large pan of water on to boil. Once boiling, salt it well and add the pasta. Cook the pasta to packet directions.

Add the oil to a large frying pan, large enough to hold all the pasta and sauce. Heat on medium then add the garlic. Cook until just starting to go golden. Add the tomatoes, caperberries, olives and chilli paste. Stir and then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the pasta is ready.

Drain the pasta, reserving a little of the pasta cooking water. Pour the pasta into the sauce and toss to coat. Use a small amount of the reserved pasta cooking water to emulsify the sauce. Take off the heat and add the parsley, toss to combine.




14 comments:

  1. Awww hahahah love it!!!! I love the jar that looks like a bomb and your story :) It looks like that at my house too, I know where everything is even though it is not logical but I don't care, I know so everything is going to be fine. Love, love your recipe and the fact that it confused your kids with the baby calamari :)

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    1. I just had to buy that chilli paste, if only for the jar. It'll get buried in my pantry before long no doubt :)

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  2. Oh man that's funny! I'm with you on both scenarios. I love the men in my house but they couldn't find dark in a dark room. Gorgeous pasta Jen!

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  3. i NEED that jar shaped like a bomb, even though i have no idea what it is, but it's the coolest looking jar ever!! also, i think we have the same pantry. just saying :)

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    1. It's chilli paste. I have a thing for packaging... and collecting food items... and buying another jar of chilli paste when I already have six different jars of the stuff. Hence, my over-stuffed pantry. I gather you can identify?

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  4. Thank you for joining the linky on my blog. Secondly, I would probably go crazy looking in your pantry as I am sure there is lots of yummy ingredients. And something can be right in front of my husband and he just stares intently and still does not see it.

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    1. My pleasure Patty. As much as I make fun of my husband, my pantry really is a black hole. Oh, and that thing your husband does,we call it "a man-look".

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  5. this made me laugh....I had to read it out loud to my better half.

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    1. Thanks for your comment Susie - it's all true, I promise.

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  6. That Ordigno chilli paste packaging is fantastic. I am a bit obsessed with packaging and labels; if anything is in an unusual jar or has clever labelling/graphic design etc I NEED to have it. That's another reason why my pantry (actually, 'cupboards', as my house isn't equipped with a proper pantry) somewhat resembles yours. Things are stacked upon other things... I know where everything is, but it drives my husband crazy. Haha... on one occasion, it annoyed him enough for him to completely clear out all the cupboards and reorganise them by type. I was in shock when I got home, as it looked like a market had exploded in our living room. He did a great job though. Aaron is very sensible in terms of organisation (though I couldn't find anything for ages as I was familiar with my messy 'system', haha). Anyway, back to this amazing pasta. I am in love with strong flavours like chilli, olives, capers and caperberries. I could completely demolish this whole batch. In fact, any leftovers? Can I come over? I will bring wine!! x

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    1. Haha Laura. If my husband (I was going to type re-organised, but I think organised is more honest), organised my pantry, it would be like a lucky dip. I'd just have to stick my hand in and see what came out: "Oh, we're having pretzels and chick peas for dinner." ... and if you're bringing wine, you can come anytime, I'll have the pasta and wine glasses ready.

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