Old Bay noodles
Old Bay and smoked garlic provide a gourmet shortcut in this flavour-packed dish. It’s a one-two punch of savoury oomph that makes for a truly addictive noodle bowl.
My love affair with Old Bay seasoning is as strong as ever, and it’s the secret to this dish’s big flavour. It delivers a perfect one-two punch of “oomph” and seasoning to the sauce. While you’re shopping, grab some smoked garlic. It’s easy to find these days and adds a deep, savoury note that makes the whole dish taste incredibly complex – it’s like a shortcut to gourmet.
Ingredients
500g packet of pasta (any shape will do)
1 tbsp Old Bay seasoning, plus extra to serve
4 smoked garlic cloves
3 store-bought roasted capsicums
140g tomato paste
2 tbsp olive oil
150ml pouring cream
3 tbsp finely chopped herbs to serve (whatever you have; I used basil and parsley)
Method
Step 1
Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. While the pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce by combining the Old Bay seasoning, garlic, roasted capsicum and tomato paste in a blender. Blitz until the mixture forms a smooth paste.
Step 2
Place a large frying pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the olive oil and scoop in the capsicum paste. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes, until the paste is fragrant and a deep, rich red colour.
Step 3
Pour in a ladle of pasta water (about 1 cup) and the cream, stirring to combine everything into a smooth sauce. Simmer the sauce while you drain the pasta.
Step 4
Finally, add the cooked pasta to the sauce in the pan, stirring to coat. Transfer the pasta to serving bowls and finish with the remaining Old Bay seasoning and the finely chopped herbs. Serve immediately.
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Katrina Meynink is a cookbook author and Good Food recipe columnist.Connect via X.
