Ever since I discovered Dreamfields low carb pasta, I have felt liberated. Pasta must be one of the most convenient foods there is. I don't mean this in a TV dinner kind of way, rather the fact that it can be whipped up quickly and easily and is limitless in the amount of delectable variations that can be imagined.
Trying to substitute low carb ingredients for pasta is a disaster. Some cookbooks will recommend you use egg crepes, cut into ribbons, (I don't think so), others will suggest vegetables such as zucchini, carrot or cabbage, julienned finely and fried in butter, (better). Spaghetti squash is often cited as a viable alternative and it is good, but in a soft, wet kind of way, not an al dente noodle able to withstand sauces with cheese and retaining it's texture. One low carb advocate suggested that it's only the sauces people like anyway, no-one really cares about the actual pasta. Not so I say, strongly. I could happily eat a plate of unadorned pasta with maybe just the merest hint of pepper or cheese. Pasta has a mouth feel, a satisfying texture that is almost meaty when a big forkful is eaten. This cannot be replicated.
A moment of horror struck as I was browsing the Internet and saw a large headline read "The Dreamfields pasta scam", full of people insisting that the company's claim that most of the carbohydrates are 'non-digestible' is complete baloney. Others say no, so until I know for certain, I will feign the bliss of ignorance and continue to enjoy this product and the convenience it allows me.
Recipe : Spring pasta with green vegetables (There's a lot of butter in this - you can easily cut back if you want).
Pasta for 2
1 tsp oil
1 tbsp butter
4 slices bacon, chopped (Unsmoked back bacon is best, but regular is OK of you can't get it).
3 anchovy fillets, chopped
4 stalks broccolette or broccolini or even broccoli heads
6 stalks of asparagus, sliced lengthways
1/4 cup podded peas
1 tbsp pasta water (reserved from cooked pasta).
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil, add the spaghetti and cook until almost done. Drain.
Heat the oil and butter in a frying pan over medium heat and add the bacon when foaming. Cook for a few minutes to slightly brown the bacon then add the anchovies and stir well. Let cook for another few minutes to allow the anchovies to melt.
Briefly blanch the broccolette, asparagus and peas in boiling water for a few minutes, drain and add to the bacon and anchovies in the pan. Cook over low - medium heat for about 10 minutes until the vegetables are soft and wilted.
Add the pasta water and a little Parmesan cheese from the 1/4 cup and stir well over high heat. Add the drained spaghetti and stir constantly until the spaghetti is cooked, the mixture glossy and thickened slightly.
Serve with the extra Parmesan on top.
I am returning home on the 14th May after an absence of two years. Going home brings many pleasures and this year, for the first time, I will be excited about all the culinary possibilities I can record for this blog. For example, my parents' bakery has been turned into a jerky producer, in Wales. I'm looking forward to finding out as much as I can and one of my missions involves the book above. Much more so than living in Vancouver, being home means walks in the countryside and foraging is something I've always wanted to try. Hopefully I can find at least some specimens to cook with other than the ubiquitous stinging nettles and widespread blackberries.
Update: Unfortunately, nothing so far has come of the jerky producer.
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