Comfort Food

Thanks to its affordability and versatility pasta features regularly in my repertoire, it is an ideal vessel for healthy dishes rich in vegetables, lean proteins and healthy fats.

However, the importance of carbohydrates is often met with confusion as a result of faddy high protein, low carb diets, seen as the ultimate panacea. Carbs are an essential part of our diet and are a primary source of fuel for the body and brain, we need them to function properly. A low carb diet can lead to nutritional deficiencies and cause dangerous fluctuations in blood sugar, added to which a low carb diet taken to the extreme can trigger ketosis, where toxic ketones are produced as a side effect of the body burning stored fat for energy.

When I was a young working mum we virtually subsisted on pasta due to its efficient and economical 'delivery system', other young mums I worked with would swap ideas, pasta with wilted greens, roasted vegetables, fresh tomato sauce, tinned tuna or sardines..........you name it I've combined it with pasta!

But you know my favourite pasta dish of all time goes back to my own childhood, my mother would rustle this dish up at a moments notice as the ultimate comfort food. Whenever I'm feeling a bit fragile and in need of comfort and cosiness this is still my favourite supper. It also serves as a great fall back dish when Bert turns up with half of his football team expecting a quick snack!

Pasta with butter and cheese

Recipe
1 cup pasta per person
Butter, real dairy butter not margarine
Mature Cheddar cheese, grated
Freshly milled salt and pepper

Cook pasta in boiling salted water until al dente, drain and return to pan
Add a large knob of butter and coat pasta until it becomes glossy

Return pan to a low heat, add grated cheese to pasta and stir until cheese has melted

Seasoning is key, grind salt and pepper over hot pasta, transfer to bowls and scatter a handful of cheese on top

Marmite famously divides us into love it or hate it, I personally fall into the love it category and quite often stir a spoonful of marmite into my cheesy pasta, utterly delicious!

'Everything you see I owe to spaghetti.'
-Sophia Loren

Love Donna xxxxxxx