Chilli Salt Spaghetti with Crispy Garlic Breadcrumbs

Difficulty: Easy | Prep: 5 min | Cook: 15 min | Total: 20 min | Serves: 4 | Dietary: Vegetarian, Dairy-Free

This is the dinner you make when the fridge is basically empty and it is too cold to walk to the shops. Spaghetti, a pan of garlicky fried breadcrumbs, and a decent hit of Chooki's Chilli Chicken Salt doing the work of about four other jars. One pot, one pan, twenty minutes.

Step 1: Boil the Spaghetti

Get a big pot of water on and salt it properly. Cook the spaghetti about a minute under what the packet says, so it still has some bite. Before you drain it, scoop out a cup of the cooking water. You will need it at the end.

Step 2: Fry the Crumbs

While the pasta cooks, heat half the olive oil in a wide frying pan over medium. Add the breadcrumbs and stir for 4 to 5 minutes until they are deep golden and properly crunchy. Tip them into a bowl and stir through 1 tablespoon of the Chilli Chicken Salt while they are still hot and oily, which is what makes the seasoning stick.

Step 3: Soften the Garlic

Same pan, rest of the oil, heat turned down low. Add the sliced garlic and cook gently for about 2 minutes until it goes pale gold. Do not let it brown. Burnt garlic turns bitter and there is no rescuing it.

Step 4: Toss It Together

Add the drained spaghetti to the pan with a good splash of the pasta water and the remaining tablespoon of Chooki's Chilli Chicken Salt. Toss hard for a minute so the water and oil turn glossy and cling to the strands. Off the heat, throw in the parsley and squeeze over half a lemon. Pile the crunchy crumbs on top and serve the rest of the lemon on the side.

Tip: Fresh crumbs from a stale sourdough loaf beat the packet stuff every time. Blitz the bread crusts and all, then freeze whatever you do not use.