On the table this month: Pasta
The importance of eating locally, plant-based, with an addition of my favourite creamy pasta recipe
TIP OF THE MONTH
Shop local, eat local, eat veggie
Living in Cardiff for over three years, and living as a vegetarian for almost 8 years, I have tried and tested the good and the bad of plant-based food. In the height of the cost of living and energy crisis, we are all trying to save our pennies. Although I recommend a local restaurant, there is also a home-made recipe (which is delicious and easy) that is cheap to buy from the supermarket.
Sheltered from the elements, I tucked into the sun-dried tomato and garlic pomodoro, with an addition of mozzarella and cracked black pepper
THE RESTAURANT – SVAGO ITALIAN
Local restaurant on Crwys road has an array of authentic Italian meals, sprinkled with vegetarian and vegan meals. I find it is important to eat locally, especially living in a cost of living and energy crisis, where independently run places are most at risk.
Visiting on a Wednesday evening, the near-empty restaurant was an idyllic place for pasta and wine – a bottle split between four plus an espresso martini 2 for £10. Svago, decorated with painted flowers on the ceiling and green atmospheric lighting, was the perfect escape from the near-storm cascading outside. Sheltered from the elements, I tucked into the sun-dried tomato and garlic pomodoro, with an addition of mozzarella and cracked black pepper. A comforting linguine dish, twirled with fresh tomatoes and garlic.
THE RECIPE – ACCESSIBLE CREAMY CAJUN
One of my most comforting pasta dishes. Creamy, spicy, dreamy! It’s the perfect dish to be switched and changed to whatever you have available.
Start off with a drop of olive oil, crushed garlic and chilli flakes in a pan. I add whatever veg I have in the fridge to bulk it out, although I find peppers to be the star. Finely chop the peppers, chuck them in and fry off. Cherry tomatoes and mushrooms also work very well. Add a sprinkling of Cajun seasoning, the most important aspect of the dish, and let that soak up any oil. Pour in some vegetable stock, I just use the simple squares from Lidl mixed with around 100ml of water. Whilst this bubbles away, pop whatever pasta is in the cupboard, my favourite match is tagliatelle. Add some salt, and boil watch the strings soften. Next, the very best part, adding the creamy part to the sauce– this could be double cream, crème fraiche, mascarpone, cream cheese, although my favourite is crème fraiche. Mix in the creaminess with the spiciness, combining fresh and hot. Voila! A versatile, easy, simple, cheap and delicious pasta dish made from scratch.
Basic recipe for one portion: around £1.65 per portion
100g dried pasta
1 teaspoon olive oil
salt, to taste
1 garlic clove, crushed
chilli flakes, to taste
one bell pepper
4 mushrooms
6-10 cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 teaspoon cajun seasoning
three tablespoons creme fraishe
vegetable stock and 100ml water
THE EXPERT
Talking to Becky from Wild Thing Café in Cathays
Although not pasta, I think it is so important to highlight the importance of eating plant-based, and how restaurants are making it as accessible as possible.
Wild Thing café is an independent café on Cathays Terrace, located inside the Community Centre. This cute café is fully packed with vegan meals, with an effort to steer away from the ‘fake meat’ that has become so popular. The chef, Becky, told me that they use powerful flavours to enhance their vegan dishes, instead of fake meat like so many restaurants do.
The café work under a pay what you can scheme, with only a suggested price for their customers. Becky told me, ‘it is accessible for everyone,’
People are encouraged to try plant-based food that haven’t experienced it before.’
She highlighted how important it was that people are introduced to plant-based food, especially from a local source. I think this highlights their impact on the community, attributing to their efforts of helping those that need it.
Using local produce, the café operates using veg from local veg from Coed Organics and bread supplied from bakery Riverside Sourdough. Their coffee beans are roasted at HMP The Mount by Redemption Roasters, a social enterprise which rehabilitates offenders by teaching employable skills.