Capers

"Yuk!" I can hear some of you say at seeing the title of this post. You might want to stop reading this one here, then. Although you could cook the recipe I am about to post, just omitting the capers...

I love capers. I grew up "acquiring tastes". I love all kinds of olives, and will usually buy a container from a deli just to snack on. I enjoy artichokes, blue cheese, coffee and really dark chocolate. I put spoonfuls of capers in my basic tomato pasta sauce, sprinkle them over pizzas and grill english muffins with capers and mozarella on top.

Today I purchased a small jar of capers in salt from a lovely deli in the Queen Vic Market. I had only ever had capers in vinegar before, so I thought I'd give them a go. They are a lot more salty than capers in vinegar (surprise, surprise) so you do need to rinse them quite well. While I usually use whole capers in my cooking, if you feel they might be a bit strong for your taste (or that of the people you are cooking for), you might consider chopping them in half, or more finely, so they are spread around the dish more evenly.

 

Penne with Bocconcini, Red Onion and Capers

Serves 1

Ingredients:

Penne pasta: enough for 1 (or more, if you want leftovers)

1 small to medium red onion, halved, sliced thinly into semi-circles

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1-2tsp capers in salt, rinsed well

1-2 bocconcini, sliced thinly

basil, torn just before serving

Method:

Cook the pasta according to packet instructions or until al dente.

Meanwhile, heat a little olive oil in a pan and add onion and garlic. Cook until soft. To speed this up, you can add a spoonful or two of the pasta water to the pan and cover for 3-5 minutes. When pasta is nearly done, add capers to the onion. Drain the pasta and return to the pot. Stir through the onion mix, bocconcini and basil. Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice and some lemon zest, if desired.