In Praise Of Pasta - ISSUE 26
A pasta recipe + new newsletters
New Kid On The Block
This past week we have welcomed a new writer here on Substack and I couldn’t be happier about it! Jason Hunter aka Fuji Hunter as you may know him on IG has brought his popular 2 hour photo blog over to the Substack platform.
You can sign up for free and start reading the first issue which does feature yours truly but more importantly some creative advice as well as the lowdown on how Jason photographs those iconic corner shots that we all love so much!
There is heaps more to get stuck into in his newsletter so don’t sleep on this. He even recommends a song or set from a band he is vibing and if you know me you know that is gonna win me over, bigtime! Can’t wait for the next one Jason :)
But wait there’s more…
It really seems like everyone is jumping over to Substack right!? I think that is a direct response to the frustration people are feeling with platforms like Instagram. Substack allows you to connect directly and without adverts and other thing popping in to distract you. I also think writing is very cathartic and gives us all a chance to connect over words rather than just photography. Love it!
I am glad to welcome none other than Matt Loves Cameras to the Substack writers crew! Matt is an experienced writer and knows how to tell a story, writes a damn good review and always shares his knowledge willingly with the community.
His first newsletter drops this Saturday so go over and get signed up so you don’t miss that first issue!
Did Someone Say Pasta?
So some of you may have already seen the video above but if you haven’t it would be super cool if you checked it out!
It’s a totally different vibe from what we normally do and tbh YouTube doesn’t really like when you veer of course. It tends to get confused and a video you are quite passionate about can go unnoticed. No complaints though, I do love the platform but in case you missed it, check out my very rustic home cooking in which I use metal tongs on a non-stick pan. Sorry. I blame it on too much vino.
But seriously, this was a fun thing we did on NYE and I’m really vibing this vintage look from the Helios lens Lux used, not to mention the awesome music he made for this little short film too. Fun fact - I almost started a cooking channel but then decided I would go with photography instead. If I do go that way in the future this is a taste of what it could look like. Enjoy!
Lucy’s Pasta Recipe
So I am no profesh when it comes to cooking, or photography for that matter either, but I love them both dearly. I put a lot of love into the meals I make for my family and pasta always feels like a big hug from me to them.
This is really simple and more about the ingredients than anything else. I rarely stick to a recipe due to my uncontrollable oppositional attitude towards nearly everything I’m told to do. Feel free to defy me with your own version…
Ingredients
Olive oil (of course)
Linguine (or any long pasta you choose. Bucatini or spaghetti would work.)
Chili Flakes
A hunk of Pancetta or Guanciale
Parmigiano Reggiano ( any cheese will do I just love this. We call it “reggie” in my house)
A 400g tin of good quality Italian tomatoes ( I exclusively use the brand “Mutti” as it’s just undeniably the best - this does make a difference as this will make up the main part of your sauce. So don’t be cheap!)
2-3 Anchovies (optional but recommended as they will dissolve into nothing but salty goodness and extra flavor)
A Sort Of Method
I’m gonna write this as if I was talking to you in the kitchen and not like most cook books do where they have to tell you every detailed step or give you a measurement of Olive Oil, cause I mean come on - just use your probably fine judgement and enjoy the process!
So you have everything out to make your pasta, nice.
I always boil the kettle for my pasta water cause I don’t have time to wait for water to boil on the stove. The kettle is boiling and you are cutting up your delicious hunk of pancetta into meaty chunks, like what the French call lardon, do that!
Then you wanna cover your pan with a little olive oil and get that pork in there to sizzle and render out some fat. Don’t have it too hot or the pork will get too crispy and hard. Medium heat and a slow render of the fat is what we are looking for here.
Okay, so while you struggle to not just eat all the pork you cooked and pretend that is dinner - take the pieces out and pop them aside.
Then get your anchovies into that fatty porky goodness and melt those little guys so the person that says “I don’t like anchovies” won’t know they are even in the dish.
Then pop in some chili flakes - you can decide your own fate here. I am a glutton for punishment and always go too hard.
Now here you could also add some chopped garlic or grate some in with a micro plane but tbh I have not done this and it still tasted good so don’t feel obliged if that step is just too much after a long day. I feel you.
Now get your sauce happening. Get that tin of toms in and mix it around with the rest of the yummy stuff in your pan. We want to cook the sauce a little to get rid of that tinny tomato taste so get it kind of simmering away. Add that pork back in too!
Are you ready for this hack? Add a little splash of balsamic vinegar to the sauce and mix it through. It kind of adds another layer and I just always put it in my tomato sauces. In lieu of this, you could also pop in a sprinkle of two of ground cinnamon. I saw this listed as an ingredient once when I bought Napoli sauce from a deli and I thought why not try it at home!
It’s kind of following that logic of adding some sugar to a tomato sauce to tackle the acidity - I think so anyway - I’m no chef, clearly.
I would put your pasta in now, but you could have put it in earlier. I am just extremally anxious and worry that I’ll forget about it and over cook it - nightmare - so instead I hover over the bubbling saucepan like a new mother does over her sleeping baby. You might be more well adjusted than me and have your pasta already cooking by now. Good on you.
Worth mentioning, salt your pasta water and be sure to save some water to loosen things up at the end.
Okay so your sauce has been simmering for like 15 minutes and your pasta is al dente and ready to go. Lets bring that pasta straight into the sauce and mix it around, so two become one.
I learnt from the late and great Anthony Bourdain that the answer to why restaurant food tastes better is BUTTER. So I always had a hunk of butter to the pan and it really mixes so nicely with the tomato sauce and glosses everything up. Yum.
You can do some kind of pro flipping-of-pasta-in-pan move here but it really doesn’t matter. Just get everything well acquainted in the pan and add a little of that saved pasta water to help it all come together.
Now serve in bowls topped with more olive oil and a generous grating of parm because life is too short for skimping on the good stuff.
Devour on camera like I did or just enjoy like a normal person at the dinner table with your fam and some nice vino.
Buon appetito
*I am deeply sorry to anyone Italian who is reading this. I know this is probably wrong on so many levels but it’s all I know. Just like the only way I know how to use flash, is on a point and shoot. I know what I know and this is what I know about pasta.
Next Time..
So I promise next week I will hit your inbox with less food and more photography!
I have an exciting interview issue coming up soon that will give you all some tips on nailing night photography on film. I also have a few videos in the pipeline in collaboration with my film lab, Ikigai! Stay tuned over on YT for that.
I have recently shot a few rolls of Santa Color Film and have to say I bloody love it. I’ll be doing a video soon but here is a sneak peek for ya!
Also wanna give a big shout out to my girl Molly aka Eclectachrome who is killing it right now! She is now offering paid subscriptions on her Substack and the benefits are pretty worth it. It’s really affordable and a great way to support all the reviews, videos, writing and general good vibes Molly brings to the film community. Go check it out!
See you lovely people in the next issue!
Love Lucy xx
Thanks for the recommendations I have signed up with both! We need to persuade Ali (OMTC) to start a Substack and then life will be complete!
Have a great weekend
Thank you so much for including me in this!