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Setting the Saturday Night Pasta scene
SOLO SNPING
This is your time to be in the moment. A little moment you’ve carved out in your busy life to lose
yourself in the task of making pasta. There should be no distractions. If you’re like me and can
easily be distracted by even a simple icker of a light, then there are a few things I suggest you
do to help set the scene and draw you into a little pasta-making bubble. This is my Saturday
Night Pasta ritual.
• Comfortable clothes. While I’d like people
to think I’m ouncing around in my red
polka dot dress with a vintage white apron
cinched around my waist, I’m more likely in
a pair of exercise pants (this is a work-out
after all) and an oversized shirt. Bra optional.
Hair untamed.
• Playlist. I simply can’t make pasta without
the soothing sounds of Ella Fitzgerald, Louis
Armstrong and Frank Sinatra on repeat.
Tom tells me my playlist is more suited to
a dining hall in a nursing home, but I can’t
describe the feeling that comes over me
when I knead to Louis’ gru, throaty voice
singing ‘They can’t take that away from me’.
It makes me happy beyond words. If you,
too, are soothed by the sounds of the 1950s,
then you can nd my Saturday Night Pasta
Playlist on Spotify. But you might also knead
to a dierent beat. Find what feeds you.
• Put your phone on aeroplane mode.
Iknow it sounds harsh, but I seem to lack
any self-control over picking up my phone
and scrolling through Instagram. I’ve found
myself dough deep and reaching for my
phone for some Instagratication.
• I always like to make and cook pasta with
a glass of wine. It makes me feel carefree
and condent, almost sensual as I move
around the kitchen. I think it’s because
when I lived in Italy, my Italian friend Andrea
told me that it was criminal to cook without
a glass of wine. So now in my pursuit to be
an Italian domestic goddess, curves and all,
I just can’t go past it. Of course, that’s just
me, but pour yourself a soda with lemon
or a cup of tea if you prefer. It’s all part
of theself-care.
• Decide on what you’re cooking.
Sometimes I will have spent the day
planning; other days I live on the edge
and decide right before I start based on
what I have. Have your ingredients out on
the bench to inspire you. A bowl of eggs,
a plate of tomatoes, a vase of basil. I weigh
out all my ingredients for the pasta. It
feels methodical and organised. If you’re
following a recipe, read that through, too.
• Don’t forget to put your saucepan of
water on to boil.
Large pans take a while to come to that
rolling, lively boil you’re after. Background
bubbles bursting at the surface only add
to the experience.
• Take a deep breath. Don’t rush things.
And remember this is all for just you. Little
you. Reminding yourself of that point should
allow you to shed any pressure and indulge
in the pure pleasure of making pasta.
• Sit at the table, lay a place mat out, light
acandle, pour another drink. You deserve
it. Eat happily and wholeheartedly.