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SPAGHETTI WITH MARMITE

SPAGHETTI WITH MARMITE

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Serves: 4-6

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  • Express Recipe
  • Nigella Recipe
  • Vegetarian

I came across this recipe in Anna Del Conte's memoirs, Risotto with Nettles. Now, there are so many recipes I could borrow from her, and many I have, but this is the one I have to show you here.  She introduces it as hardly a recipe, but I wanted to include it because I haven't as yet found a child who doesn't like it.

I know the combination of pasta and Marmite sounds odd to the point of unfeasibility, but wait a moment, there is a traditional day-after-the-roast pasta dish, in which spaghetti is tossed in stock, and I have eaten shortcut versions of this in Italy (recreated guiltlessly in my own kitchen) which use a crumbled stock cube, along with some butter, olive oil, chopped rosemary and a little of the pasta cooking water to make a flavoursome sauce for spaghetti. If you think about it, Marmite offers saltiness and savouriness the way a stock cube might. I'm glad this recipe is here, and I thank Anna for it.

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Ingredients

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  • 375 grams spaghetti
  • 50 grams unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon Marmite (or more to taste)
  • freshly grated Parmesan cheese (to serve)
KITCHEN

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KITCHEN

Method

  1. Cook the spaghetti in plenty of boiling salted water, according to the packet instructions.
  2. When the pasta is almost cooked, melt the butter in a small saucepan and add the Marmite and 1 tablespoon of the pasta water, mixing thoroughly to dissolve.  Reserve ½ cup of pasta water; then drain the pasta and pour the Marmite/Vegemite mixture over the drained spaghetti, adding a little reserved pasta water to amalgamate if required. Serve with plenty of grated Parmesan cheese.

For vegetarians replace the Parmesan cheese with a vegetarian alternative.

 

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  • Thank you for this 'recipe' Nigella! It's become my new 'comfort food', a delicious dinner ready in a flash. I substitute Vegemite for the marmite, having being raised on the Australian version of this salty spread. I can see why you were cross at not having heard about this recipe earlier. Much as I love Vegemite and cheese on toast, this spaghetti version of it wins hands down =)

    Posted by Sweetooth90 on 12th May 2011 at 13.06

  • I love 'Marmite' what a great idea for a recipe, I had never thought of the two 'pasta and marmite' being added together, this will be lunch today, sounds amazing!

    Posted by Iain_Ware on 29th May 2011 at 10.50

  • OMG! I love this, so does my husband and daughter. I could happily eat a whole pan load, with extra Marmite. I'm not a great cook, but this is so easy peasy anyone really can do it. It's what we're having tonight. Mmmm- Marmite.

    Posted by Tsarina on 11th Jul 2011 at 18.14

  • Funny for me to find this: I'm Maltese and in my family this was a traditional comfort dish that my mum served us since we were kids except we use thin spaghetti and bovril instead of marmite. As adults we still love it!!

    Posted by michelasp on 23rd Jul 2011 at 16.56

  • Yum!

    Posted by michelasp on 23rd Jul 2011 at 17.07

  • This sounds pretty gross, but considering my kids and what is in our pantry, I will be giving it a go and reporting back... xxo

    Posted by Julzmum on 27th Jul 2011 at 10.42

  • OMG This was so good!!!!! I added some torn up proscuitto and it is now one of my favorites! (Although I did have to use vegemite......LOL)

    Posted by Candeece on 18th Aug 2011 at 9.36

  • Being an Aussie, this recipe hit me right off, and I thought I have to try this straight away. Naturally I changed the Marmite to Vegemite and it was brilliant. Why didn't I think of this? Can't wait to pass the recipe onto the daughter to try on the grandchildren. Thanks Nigella, have quite a few of these recipes ready to go.

    Posted by Ozollie on 24th Aug 2011 at 7.06

  • Being from the US, I don't know what Vegemite or Marmite is. Could you give an American a clue about exactly what it is and how you could use it for other things. Thanks so much. PS I wish you had a regular show back on The Food Network. I miss your way of making it look so easy.

    Posted by kham1211 on 12th Feb 2012 at 10.18

  • This was great! As Aussies, of cause we used Vegemite....the kids loved it. I added some broccoli into the dish and it worked a treat....mmmmm...cheesy Vegemity!!

    Posted by barbara.pierce on 27th Mar 2012 at 3.08

  • so addicted to this recipe! green beans chopped into thirds and cooked mix so well in it too

    Posted by Natsofyfo on 4th Nov 2012 at 23.38

  • Well we couldn't let the aussies talk about vegemite all the time could we? My mum said I'm cooking dinner tonight and this popped into my head, will let you all know how it goes! Go Kiwis!

    Posted by Ieatfoooooooood!!! on 25th Mar 2013 at 3.12

  • I have vegemite/marmite however this was delicious. A great no fuss meal when you don't have the energy to cook.

    Posted by ciaranic on 30th Apr 2013 at 9.47