Jamie’s Salsa Spaghetti

With Black Olives & Fresh Basil

By Hello Fresh with Jamie Oliver  

Photo courtesy: Hello Fresh

Photo courtesy: Hello Fresh

There are some beautiful Mediterranean vibes going on in this dish – juicy ripe tomatoes, fresh fragrant basil and delicious olives, all tossed and tangled up in al dente spaghetti. The flavor combo here is mega-simple, but when you put them together, something magical happens. Let the tomatoes ripen naturally out of the refrigerator – the warmth will ensure all those lovely flavors and juices are at their best and ready to flow. Tomatoes are source of vitamin C, a nutrient our bodies need for so many different things, including immune function and keeping our energy levels up.

Cooking time: 15 min.

Servings:  2

Nutrition: Calories: 466 cal, Fat: 15g, Sat Fat: 3g, Protein: 16g, Carbs: 70g, Sugar: 7g, Salt: 164 mg, Fiber: 4g

Ingredients:

  • 6 ounces dried spaghetti
  • 10 ounces ripe tomatoes
  • 6 black olives
  • ¼ of a bunch of fresh basil
  • ½ a clove of garlic
  • 4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • ½ ounce Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

  1. Cook the spaghetti in a pot of boiling salted water until al dente, which means that it should be soft enough to eat, but still have a bit of bite and firmness to it.
  2. On a large cutting board, chop the tomatoes. Add the olives to the pile of tomatoes.
  3. Pick the basil leaves, reserving the smaller ones for later and throw the rest onto the pile.
  4. Chop and add ½ a clove of garlic to the pile, then run your knife back and forth through all of the ingredients, chopping and mixing as you go, until you get a rough-looking salsa.
  5. Add 4 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper, and keep chopping and mixing until well combined.
  6. Scoop out and reserve a cupful of the pasta cooking water, then drain the spaghetti in a colander.
  7. Put the spaghetti in a large bowl, scrape in the salsa dressing, adding a splash of the reserved cooking water, if needed, to make a lovely loose sauce.
  8. Sprinkle over the reserved baby basil leaves and add half of the Parmesan before serving.