Nigella Lawson's four-ingredient Marmite spaghetti recipe is a quick and affordable meal that combines cupboard staples to create a rich, savoury sauce. It is ready in just 10 minutes and serves four to six people.
The recipe uses just four ingredients and is ready in under 10 minutes. The recipe notes said: “I know the combination of pasta and Marmite sounds off to the point of unfeasibility, but wait a moment, there is a traditional day-after-the-roast pasta dish, in which spaghetti is tossed in stock, and I have eaten shortcut versions of this in Italy. It uses a crumbled stock cube, along with some butter, olive oil, chopped rosemary and a little of the pasta cooking water to make a flavoursome sauce for spaghetti.
Why Marmite works in pasta
“If you think about it, Marmite offers saltiness and savouriness the way a stock cube might.”
This recipe serves four to six people; if cooking for vegetarians, swap the Parmesan for an alternative.
Ingredients and method
Ingredients:
- 375g spaghetti
- 50g unsalted butter
- One teaspoon of Marmite or Vegemite
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, to serve
Method:
Start by bringing a large saucepan of salted water to the boil, then cook the spaghetti according to the packet instructions until al dente. While the pasta cooks, melt the butter in a small saucepan or frying pan over a low heat. Add the Marmite and stir until it dissolves into the butter, creating a smooth, savoury mixture.
Before draining the spaghetti, reserve a little of the cooking water. This is an important step, as the starch water helps loosen the sauce and gives it a silky consistency.
Finishing touches
Add the drained spaghetti to the Marmite butter, along with a splash of the reserved pasta water. Toss everything together until the strands of spaghetti are evenly coated and the sauce looks glossy rather than greasy.
Finish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and toss again before serving. You can add a little extra cheese on top if you prefer a richer finish.
While the combination of Marmite and pasta may put some people off, the savoury flavour provides depth, and the butter mellows it out a little.
