Food blogger ‘Blurred Limes’ spring themed pasta dish

Rachel Payas is a Gibraltarian food enthusiast and blogger, and self confessed ‘girl obsessed with food’.

Known on social media as Blurred Limes, Ms Payas is also known for her ability to fuse different foods and create dishes that make others want to get in the kitchen.

Her food is known for bringing comfort, the feeling of being nourished and an overall general satisfaction.

This week’s pasta dish is testament to that.

Ms Payas’s recipes will now start to appear in the Chronicle on a regular basis.

Follow her foodie adventures @blurredlimesgib on both Facebook and Instagram.

Spring Time Spaghetti

I like to make this recipe in the spring as it feels so bright, fresh and light. It’s also a time saver and shouldn’t take more than around 20 minutes to prepare and serve.

To serve 2 you will need;
1 bunch of fresh dill
1 bunch of fresh parsley
1 bunch of fresh basil
200g Spaghetti
2 tablespoons capers
1 small jar of olives
2 garlic cloves
A sprinkling of chilli flakes
Zest and juice of half a lemon
A splash of soy sauce
50ml olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Toasted breadcrumbs (optional)

1. Roughly tear up the three bunches of your fresh herbs and place in a small bowl. The herbs will act almost as vegetables in this recipe and will form the main body of the dish alongside the spaghetti.
2. Add a few really good glugs of a high quality olive oil to the bowl (at least around 50ml, if not more) to coat your herbs, throw in some chilli flakes for some heat. Half a teaspoon should do it or more if you’re feeling fiery!
3. Now for my favourite bit, the salty and briny element of the dish. Add in a splash of soy sauce, your capers and a small jar of olives. The olives can be any variety but I tend to use green olives, preferably stuffed with lemon for extra zing. You can smash the olives or chop them up, but I like to leave them whole. This makes for a very interesting burst of flavour when you bite into one.
4. You will also need to add in 2 cloves of minced garlic and the zest of half a lemon to the bowl. This dish is vegan if you omit the Parmesan cheese. However if you are a fish lover, a small tin of anchovy fillets could be chopped up, made into a paste and added to the olive oil mixture at this stage for great depth and umami flavours.
5. Cook your spaghetti in plenty of salty boiling water and reserve one cup of the pasta water.
6. Once spaghetti has been cooked to al dente (around 8 minutes) drain it well, take it off the heat and pour in your herby olive oil mixture. Combine well, using the reserved pasta water as needed.
7. Season with a dash of salt and pepper and the juice of half a lemon.
8. I topped my spaghetti with some toasted breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan but it would also work well with some extra chilli flakes, chopped tomatoes or lemon zest too. Enjoy!