Spaghetti with Vegetables

Cabbage

1. Prepare the cabbage: cut the broccoli florets from the main stem with a knife. If some florets are clearly yellowish, it is better not to use them, since seeds have already formed in them. Peel the outer leaves off the Brussels sprouts, as they may be dry or spoiled. Also cut off the protruding core with a knife.

   

2. Blanch the cabbage for 3 minutes and cool it immediately. Bring 1.5–2 l of water to a boil in a pot and add a pinch of salt and 0.5 tsp of sugar (2 g). Put the broccoli and Brussels sprouts into the boiling water and cook for 3 minutes, which is enough. Drain the blanched cabbage in a colander and rinse with cold water. Alternatively, you can quickly pour water with ice cubes over the cabbage, so that it keeps its firmness and stays slightly crunchy. Then drain the cabbage in the colander again to let the water run off. Thanks to the remaining inner heat the cabbage will not be icy: while the dish is cooking, it will come up to normal temperature.

   

Pasta and vegetables

3. Cook the spaghetti. While the vegetables are cooking, bring 2 l of water with 14 g of salt (7 g per 1 l) to a boil and cook the spaghetti, or other pasta of your choice, for the time given on the package. This is the time in which the manufacturer guarantees proper cooking, so do not adjust it. Drain the cooked pasta in a colander so that the water runs off completely.

   

4. Prepare the olive oil with garlic and hot chili. Peel the garlic and set aside one small clove for the basil and Parmesan topping. Crush the remaining cloves with the flat of a knife blade. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, fry the garlic until it just starts to change color and throw it away immediately.

   

   Remove the seeds and inner membranes from a fresh hot chili pod, as they contain the most capsaicin, which gives the pepper its heat. Cut the chili into thin strips and fry in the same oil after the garlic has been taken out. As soon as the chili begins to turn golden, transfer it to a saucer.

   

5. Fry the carrot and parsnip until soft. Peel the carrot and a small piece of parsnip: a parsnip root is usually quite big, and it would be too much for spaghetti for two. Cut the roots into cubes, the way you cut vegetables for meat salad. Fry the cubes over medium heat, stirring, without covering the skillet. They soften very quickly and start to turn golden.

   

6. Fry the spaghetti with the vegetables for 4-5 minutes. Without delay, transfer the cooked spaghetti to the skillet with the fried vegetables and mix thoroughly. Fry over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 4-5 minutes. A plastic fork or a special spaghetti spoon is handy for stirring; it looks like a big spoon with teeth sticking up vertically along the edges.

   

7. Add the prepared broccoli and Brussels sprouts to the spaghetti. If you like, you can leave all the cabbage whole or cut it into pieces. Season the pasta and vegetables with black pepper, preferably freshly ground, so that it is very aromatic. Mix well once more so that all the vegetables are evenly distributed.

   

Topping

8. Make a topping of Parmesan, basil and garlic. Grate a piece of Parmesan and chop a handful of fresh basil leaves with a knife. Put the reserved garlic clove, Parmesan and basil into a blender and grind. You get an almost dry mixture of a pleasant emerald color with a light garlic aroma.

   

Serving

9. Divide the spaghetti among plates. If you like, lay strips of fried hot chili on top. Sprinkle with the prepared Parmesan with basil and garlic. Garnish with a sprig of fresh basil and serve immediately.

   

   I should say that the dish loses its flavor and “sets” as it cools, so it is best to start eating right away, while the pasta is still hot. By the way, if you like, you can add a few capers to the pasta.