So sometimes I have these HUMONGOUS carb cravings.
I generally avoid carbs in day to day life and stick to proteins and fiber-rich food which keep me full and revitalized. Carbs slow me down and make me put on grotesquely and I can’t have that. With me running around taking care of a recovering dengue patient these days, I just don’t have the time nor the energy to spend at the gym anymore.
But sometimes I get these carb cravings. And a regular plate of rice won’t do.
It was one of those carb craving days and I was walking down the supermarket isle when the carb attack hit. I found myself grabbing a packet of spaghetti, tomatoes (my favorite ingredient is tomatoes these days) and fresh cream and heading home without so much as a glance towards other things.
The recipe turned out quite fabulous. Even the hubster who isn’t a great fan of spaghetti loved it.
- Yield: 5 servings
- Prep Time: 60 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Serving: 5 servings
Grilled chicken spaghetti in tomato sauce
Ingredients
- Spaghetti - 350g
- Tomatoes - 500g
- Fresh Cream - 1 cup
- Onions - 100g, sliced
- Garlic - 2 tblsps, minced
- Oregano - 1 tsp, dried
- Capsicum - 100g, diced
- Basil leaves - A handful, fresh
- Olive oil - 3 tblsps
- Salt & Pepper - To taste
- For grilled chicken
- Chicken whole legs - 4 pieces
- Pepper - 3 tblsps
- Salt - Per taste
- Tumeric powder - ½ tsp
- Garlic - 2 tblsps, minced
- Ginger - 1 tsp, minced
Instructions
For the Grilled chicken
- Combine all the ingredients. Leave the chicken to marinade at least for 1 hour.
- Grill on a heated skillet or a grill until done.
- Once cooled, shred the chicken into large chunks. Keep aside.
For the spaghetti
- Prepare the spaghetti as per instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Puree the tomatoes. It doesn’t matter if there are skin and seeds. Keep aside.
- In a large pan, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic. Sautee until fragrant.
- Add the onions. Add the capsicum. Sautee until translucent.
- Add in the oregano, salt and pepper. Mix well.
- Add in the chicken. Add in the tomato puree. Stir well to combine and simmer for about 5 minutes.
- And now for my secret ingredient. Add in that pinch of baking soda and watch it sizzle :)
- Add in the cream. Stir well to combine and simmer until slightly thickened.
- Take off heat and add in the spaghetti. Combine. Add in the fresh basil leaves. Serve warm!
Silky, slick and flavorsome, the spaghetti glides upon the tongue leaving a delicious trail of quiet flamboyance. The tomatoes provide a lovely acidity that is at the same time delicate and wildly tempting. The oregano laces in and out, teasing the senses with its fragrant presence, piercing through the thick luxuriousness of it all. The cream balances with its soft, cloud-like touch, bringing it all together in one wonderfully comforting embrace while the basil incorporates a breath of fresh air into the mix with its fresh herby flavor, dotting, coaxing and cajoling you into bite after bite.
Cooking tips
- Make sure the spaghetti is cooked al dente. Soggy won’t do.
- Reduce the sauce to the thickness that you want. If it’s too thick, dilute with some stock or with some water.
- Make sure there is enough sauce to cover all the spaghetti. Although the sauce may look like a lot, the spaghetti absorbs most of it, so make sure there’s plenty.
- Sprinkle some parmesan on top before serving. Me, I thought it was quite unnecessary.