Harissa spaghetti recipe
Made with simple store cupboard staples like canned tomatoes and dried oregano, Drew Barrymore's harissa spaghetti will become an instant favourite. Or you could make yourself look like a fancy pants and buy fresh cherry tomatoes and fresh basil and simmer that garlic like a real chef! But the key, no matter, is the harissa. It’s a Tunisian spice paste that you squeeze out of a tube or scoop from a jar, and the result is a smoky and delicious flavour.
Note you can also use regular spaghetti in place of chickpea pasta.
Ingredients
- 1 x 227/8oz package chickpea spaghetti (we recommend Banza)
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled and grated
- 1 x quarter tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp onion powder (optional)
- 800 g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 tbsp dried oregano (optional)
- 1 tbsp dried parsley (optional)
- 1 pinch each salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tbsp double-concentrated tomato purée (paste)
- 2 –3 tbsps harissa paste, plus additional to taste
- 65 g chopped basil, plus additional for serving
Details
- Cuisine: Italian-American
- Recipe Type: Pasta
- Difficulty: Easy
- Preparation Time: 5 mins
- Cooking Time: 20 mins
- Serves: 2
Step-by-step
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Season with 2 tablespoons salt. Add the spaghetti and stir to ensure that the pasta does not clump together. Boil until just al dente, 6 to 7 minutes. Reserve 237ml/1 cup of the pasta cooking water and drain the noodles. Rinse the chickpea noodles under cold water until completely cool. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and swirl to coat.
- Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and onion powder, if using. Sauté, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Do not let brown.
- Add the cherry tomatoes and dried herbs, if using, and season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking until the tomatoes begin to break down, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste and harissa paste and cook for 3 minutes more. Taste the sauce and season with salt, pepper, and additional harissa paste, if desired. (The pasta sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance. Store, covered, in the refrigerator before reheating in a skillet.)
- Add the pasta to the sauce, along with 1 to 2 tablespoons of pasta water to thin, if necessary. The sauce should be thick and concentrated, but just loose enough to coat the noodles easily. Cook for 1 minute more, tossing to combine.
- Add the chopped basil, gently fold to combine, and divide among serving plates. Serve immediately, topping each portion with a drizzle of olive oil and additional basil.
This recipe is extracted from Rebel Homemaker by Drew Barrymore and Pilar Valdes (Ebury Press, £25). Photography by Graydon Herriott.
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