Feta & Cherry Tomato Pasta with 'Nduja
For when your accent is a safety hazard
Prep time: 5 min | Total time: 35 min | Difficulty: 1/5
English is not my first language. If you’ve ever spoken to me in real life, you already know that — someone I used to know once described my accent as that of “a British-Jewish New Yorker.” While this manages to simultaneously offend New Yorkers, Jews, and the entire cast of Harry Potter, it might be somewhat accurate.
I’ve been working on it. But some English words are just... impossible. What is up with Worcestershire. Or choir, which looks like this and sounds like something you’d scream mid-stroke. And don’t even get me started on rural — I seriously worry my tongue might never untwist back.
Still, the real killer for me has always been no. No matter how much I practise, or how many synonyms I reach for — “I don’t want this,” “I’m not into it,” “please leave me the f*** alone” — somehow it reaches some men’s ears as “maybe,” “convince me,” or “I love you too.” Must be some kind of a glitch in the pronunciation matrix. Truly a mystery.
Anyway. Here’s a spicy pasta (or rather, my riff on the viral baked-feta-cherry-tomato situation) upgraded with a spoonful of 'nduja (pronounced en-doo-ya, btw, and yes, that’s Italian for “no thank you”) It’s spicy, it bites back, and doesn’t pretend to be harmless.
Ingredients (serves 1)
Cherry tomatoes 200g / 1 ⅓ cups
Feta 100g / 3.5 oz
Garlic 2 cloves
'Nduja ½–1 tsp (the ideal amount will depend on the 'nduja and how much you like to be hurt. Just try and adjust)
Olive oil 1 tbsp
Salt & pepper to taste
Herbs of your choice (I like dried basil and oregano here) 1 pinch
Pasta 80g / 2.8 oz dry
Fresh basil however much you like
Equipment
Baking dish
Small pot
Fork
Pasta strainer
Method
Preheat your oven to 200°C / 400°F
Pile the cherry tomatoes into a baking dish — make sure it’s not too crowded
Nestle the block of feta in the centre of the dish
Smash the garlic cloves, place them in the dish
Drizzle everything with olive oil, season with salt, pepper, herbs if using
Roast in the oven for more or less 25 minutes, until the tomatoes have burst and the feta is soft
While that’s happening, cook the pasta in salted boiling water according to packet instructions. When done, drain, and reserve a splash of pasta water
Once the tomatoes and feta are done, use a fork to mash everything together into a sauce. Stir in the basil
Stir in the 'nduja — start with ½ teaspoon, taste, and go up to 1 teaspoon if you want more heat. Keep going until it really burns
Toss the reserved pasta water into the sauce, loosening it if needed
Pour the sauce into the pasta, mix everything, and devour immediately
Serving Ideas
Grated parmesan never hurt anyone
More basil leaves
Fried pancetta (see photo above)
Dealing with Leftovers
Leftover sauce can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutritional Value (per serving)
Calories: 600 kcal | Carbs: 55 g | Protein: 16 g | Fat: 35 g