Is There An Olive In The House?

I love pasta, I’d eat it everyday if I had to, without any form of complaint.  It’s such a versatile product which can be eaten hot or cold with such an array of other ingredients that I fail to see how it could be called boring. My mother on the other hand, only likes baked pasta, so I only get my fix of ‘simple’ pasta when she is out. Tonight was one of those nights.

A little while back the lovely Rita sent me a copy of Italian Food by the wonderful Elizabeth David, a very influential British cook of the 20th century.  It was she who began the influx of continental ideas to British food, and she remains incredibly popular today.

I love her books, she doesn’t tend to write in true recipe form, more of a short story around the ingredients and methods.  A joy to read, although if you’re anything like me you’ll need notepad and pen with you while you read so as you can jot ideas down as you go, along with more demonstrative recipes which will be easier to follow in the mad rush round the kitchen.

After perusing the fridge and pantry, gazing at the lovely produce brought from the market the other day I decided upon spaghetti with prosciutto for dinner. A very simple dish containing only five ingredients, but the result was stunning. What with the saltiness of the olives, the smoky ham and the sweetness of the cheese it gave rise to a wonderful selection of flavours and textures making it such a delight to eat.

True to form tonights dinner didn’t follow a set recipe, more some guidelines, however I have tried to make more of a recipe here for you lovely readers to follow. 

The Recipe (Serves 2):

• 250g spaghetti
• 6 slices prosciutto cut into chunks
• 50g butter
• 50g parmigiana (plus extra for serving)
• 10 olives, pitted and roughly chopped

1. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions.
2. Meanwhile heat the butter in a large frying pan and add the prosciutto, fry until golden.
3. Add the pasta and olives to the pan, toss until coated with butter.
4. Stir through the cheese and serve.

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