Meghan Markle’s one pot pasta dish has divided opinion after being shared on her Netflix series With Love, Meghan – so an Italian chef and cookbook author put it to the test
An Italian chef has shared his take on Meghan Markle‘s controversial one pot pasta dish.
In her new Netflix series With Love, Meghan, which aired last month, the former royal has been sharing her favourite recipes to prepare for the whole family, and guests. Her one pot pasta dish has got people talking – featuring cherry tomatoes, garlic, kale and spaghetti.
The recipe is simple as it requires minimal ingredients cooked in a single pan, which means there is little washing up. It could be a winner if you need something quick, healthy and delicious to prepare during a busy week.
Meghan’s recipe has divided opinion. While many love the simplicity of it, others insists it needs more. So chef and cook book author, Danilo Cortellini, decided to try it out for himself and has shared his verdict.
Ingredients you’ll need
For Danilo’s version of Meghan’s famous dish, you require…
- 40g of quality dried spaghetti (artisan spaghetti have more starch)
- 220g of cherry tomatoes
- 200g Swiss chard
- One teaspoon of dried chilli
- One chopped garlic clove
- One teaspoon of dried oregano (optional)
- 750ml of water
- Three tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 30g of grated Grana Padano cheese
- A lemon
- Some orange zest – more or less depending on your personal preferences
How to prepare Meghan Markle’s one pot pasta
- Danilo started by heating olive oil in a pan before adding chopped cloves of garlic
- Once simmering, he added in cherry tomatoes that had been sliced in half
- After a few minutes, he added spaghetti and boiling water until the tomatoes and pasta were covered
- While letting those simmer, he finely chopped up two chard leaves and some onion and put both into the pan with a lid on
- After leaving for a few minutes, the ingredients will have softened. He then gave them a stir, before adding more hot water into the pot
- Chop kale into fine pieces and add it into the mix along with a pinch of salt.
Once ready, he took the pan off heat and added extra virgin olive oil, chill flakes and a heap of parmesan. You can adjust the meal according to your personal preferences.
The chef advised: “Plate the spaghetti straight away and garnish with fresh zest of lemon and orange (and more cheese).”
Chef’s verdict
Sharing his honest thoughts about the recipe, Danilo said: “Honestly Meghan, you did alright… I have watched reviews on here of the one pot pasta that was showed on Meghan’s latest show on Netflix and in all honesty I think it deserves some recognition.”
He noted: “Is this this perfect? No. Can it be made technically better? Absolutely yes. But it is a great way to cook something fresh quickly that feeds the whole family, packs nutrients and doesn’t mess too much your kitchen. Not bad cooking skills for a former duchess.”
Adding some improvements to Meghan’s recipe, the chef advises: “Don’t add all the water in one go as Meghan did. Know your pasta, it might need less/more. Add as it is absorbed as if it was a risotto. Don’t add the the zests at the beginning, you’ll lose freshness and they could add bitterness. Fry the garlic and tomatoes before adding the spaghetti and water, that is what gives a backbone to the flavour.”
People were grateful for Danilo’s advice and took to the comments section on Instagram to leave their thoughts. One said: “I tried it and it was actually good.”
Another said: “I made it twice because it tastes so good.” And a third gushed: “After watching her show and I saw her make this dish, I tried making it. It was an absolute winner with my family. Everyone loved it.”
Meanwhile, a fourth pointed out: “If an Italian chef approves your pasta cooking skills then you win! You go girl!”
