Spaghetti Western

Last week, for the first time: I cooked Spaghetti with Marmite.

I'm quite partial to the odd cookery programme these days - the excitement and pressure of Masterchef or Saturday Kitchen's culinary delights for the Swap Shop generation, but I think most of you would agree that there are way too many TV chefs cluttering up our screens. One that is definitely surplus to my requirements is Nigella Lawson. I really have no desire to watch some upper middle class wench strolling around in her satin dressing gown and sitcking her grubby mitts in a jar of Coleman's at 3am or immersing a ham shank in a litre of Red Bull. Her approach to cookery leaves a lot to be desired: I have actually witnessed her using the phrase "apply to face" as a final recipe step. Vile.

In a recent conversation with my dear sister-in-law, I discovered that Nigella's repertoire included a recipe for Spaghetti with Marmite, which she had pilfered from her Milanese mentor Anna Del Conte. I'm pretty confident that I can't be alone in finding the idea of mixing Marmite into butter and emulsifying it with pasta water before serving over spaghetti, positively bile-inducing. However, several reliable sources assured me that it sets the palette alive and my friend Maria persuaded me last week that it would be a positive addition to my quest for new experiences. The marmite campaign slogan claims:

"You either love it or you hate it".

I guess I must be the excpetion to the rule, as, quite frankly, I'm just not that fussed. (There's always one!) My husband has always been a big fan, so when I texted him to let him know what concoction would be sitting waiting for him on a plate that evening, he simply replied "Not Arf".

The beauty of this recipe lies in its simplicity and with its salty flavour and wealth of carbs, it is the ultimate in comfort food. It could be tempting to add some extras (chopped walnuts and/or fried mushrooms perhaps), but this can often be my downfall in the kitchen - I have a tendency to overload on ingredients until a recipe loses its distinct flavour and each pasta dish ressembles the last.

Although not strictly her own creation, Ms Lawson has come up trumps on this occasion. While not something I would serve to dinner guests, I will reserve this recipe for tv dinners and comfort food occasions. In fact, I am almost looking forward to coming down with a nasty cold so I can experience its psychological healing properties.

Would I try this again? Not Arf!

Some Marmite facts:

• The Danish government has recently banned Marmite as it contains an illegal amount of added vitamins
• There are claims that Marmite can be used in the prevention of mosquito bites (I'll wager that Dirty Nigella smothers herself in the stuff just before bedtime)
• 25% British people take Marmite with them when they go on holiday (presumably to prevent mosquito bites)

For more Marmite facts and quality products like Marmite Vaseline (mmm), visit http://www.ilovemarmite.com/