Something spicy

We always have fish at the weekend, as you need time to eat fish [all the bones!], unless it is fish fingers and you can swallow them whole.
Anyway I though we could start this weekend with something different, so when I asked J what he fancied, and he shouted SPAGHETTI, but something like Italian style!, there was really only one thing to do - spaghetti... and, of course, the Italian style, God knows what that means!?
As a good wife I did not ask what it was, just went to the kitchen and opened our fridge. Because basically I do not buy food to cook something specific, I rather cook something out of any ingredients found in my kitchen. It works for me and J says that I am a master of leftovers.



So what I found this time to make the Chilli Olives Spaghetti?

Ingredients:

200g whole wheat spaghetti;
6 cloves of garlic [from my garden :-)];
1 small courgette [= zucchini] -about 15 cm long;
1/2 aubergine [= eggplant] - about 10 cm long, unless you really like aubergine, then add the whole lot;
4 tbsp of chopped coriander or parsley;
150 g of chilli olives [mine came with this lovely & spicy chilli paste; not much of it but enough to add flavor];
olive oil - I use light for frying and then add the extra virgin at the end when all is cooked and hot;
grated parmesan cheese ;
1 tbsp of dried basil;
1/2 cube of chicken stock;

1. cook spaghetti in salted water;
2. chop courgette and aubergine into cubes [about 1x1 cm], heat 4 tbsp of light olive oil in the wok or any deep/large pan;
3. add garlic to the pan [crush it using a garlic press]; add vegetables and 1/2 of stock - fry it for about 5-7 minutes stirring from time to time;
4. add basil and chilly olives and fry for another 3-4 minutes;
5. add chopped parsley and extra virgin olive oil [about 50 ml]; turn off the heat;
It should look like this:


I did not add any additional salt apart from that 1/2 cube of chicken stock, because pasta was lightly salted and olives with parmesan cheese are salty enough. But if you think that you may need more, feel free to add this now.

6. add spaghetti and stir everything together;
7. serve straight away with some parmesan... and wine if you like?! Enjoy enormously! Yum!



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