Curried Spaghetti Recipe - Spaghetti Al Curry

Bowl of creamy spaghetti

Chris Ted / Photodisc / Getty Images

Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 40 mins
Total: 70 mins
Servings: 4 servings

Curried Spaghetti might strike one as odd, as curry is not one of those things one associates with Italian cooking. However, it does appear, often in recipes designed to excite the passions of the diners, and is, according to Livio Cerini del Castagnate, not something to be undertaken lightly: One has to measure carefully and respect the cooking times.

You will need cheesecloth for this recipe.

Ingredients

  • 1 medium onion

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 1 tablespoon parsley, finely minced

  • 1 tablespoon celery, finely minced

  • 1 dash salt

  • 1 bay leaf, crumbled

  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon curry powder

  • 1 cup broth

  • 2 to 3 tablespoons cream

  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice, optional

  • 1 cup meat, or fish, diced

  • 3/4 pound spaghetti

Steps to Make It

  1. Finely mince a medium-sized onion and heat it over a medium flame with two tablespoons of unsalted butter, stirring with a wooden spoon and making sure that it wilts without coloring at all; after a few minutes add a tablespoon each finely minced parsley and celery and continue cooking over the same low flame; after ten minutes more add two healthy pinches of salt and a crumbled dried bay leaf.

  2. Continue stirring briskly, and add a quarter cup (25 g) of flour followed by a heaping tablespoon of the best curry powder.

  3. Continue working the mixture over a low flame until you obtain a fairly dense paste, into which you should slowly stir a cup (250 ml) of simmering broth. You will obtain a slightly lumpy cream that you should simmer for a half hour before removing from the fire and filter through a finely woven cheesecloth to remove the various fibers.

  4. Return the filtered sauce to the fire, and stir in 2-3 tablespoons of heavy cream (or milk, if you prefer), and, if you want, a little lemon juice. The sauce is done, and will be a light yellow, creamy, and tend to form a skin as it cools (stir to remove the skin). As it's cooking you can add, if you want, diced chicken, pork, or veal, or crustaceans, lobster meat, or shrimp, which will add a pleasingly erotic touch. Figure a half pound for two, and shell and devein the shrimp if that's what you select.

  5. While the sauce is simmering, select the pasta: Spaghetti will work well, as will other thinner flat varieties. You won't want penne or thick maccheroni here. Cook the pasta, a half pound for two, in abundant salted water, and drain it while it's still rather al dente. Return it to the pasta pot, pour the curry sauce over it, and cook, stirring with a spoon, until the sauce is evenly distributed and the pasta is done.

  6. Serve hot!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
343 Calories
15g Fat
37g Carbs
15g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 343
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 15g 19%
Saturated Fat 8g 39%
Cholesterol 56mg 19%
Sodium 155mg 7%
Total Carbohydrate 37g 13%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 15g
Vitamin C 3mg 14%
Calcium 35mg 3%
Iron 2mg 13%
Potassium 298mg 6%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)