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Nora Ephron is one of the most beloved American writers and directors of our time. While she shared her art publicly through her incredible films, she also had a passion that she shared with just family and friends: her cooking. Over the years, Ephron compiled her favorite recipes and bound them to share with her loved ones—a behemoth 174-page collection that cannot be bought, but is instead gifted by the auteur, per the L.A. Times.
“Simply titled ‘Nora’s Cookbook’ and bound with white spiral wire, the recipe collection blends Ephron’s wry observations about throwing a great dinner party and using clarified butter with relatively simple recipes for dishes like chicken salad, monkey bread, and pot roast,” says John Horn of the L.A. Times.
Along with her culinary musings and cooking advice, Ephron’s recipe names stand out. According to Horn’s reporting, the cookbook is full of dishes with unique names like “The Breakfast Pancake Thing You Make in the Oven,” “Cornbread Pudding Made of Horrible Ingredients,” and “Famous Potato Thing.” The recipes showcase the author’s personality and whimsical approach to cooking.
Sandwiched somewhere within Nora’s Cookbook is a four-ingredient recipe called “Spaghetti With Sand.” It’s one of the easiest pasta recipes out there, and in the Jewish Celebrity Cookbook, Ephron says it’s a “simple and remarkably delicious thing to do with pasta, particularly if you’re serving it with a chicken dish.” Here’s how to make it.
How To Make Nora Ephron’s 4-Ingredient Spaghetti With Sand
Credit: Allrecipes / Sonia Bozzo
Ingredients:
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil (Ephron notes, “not virgin!”)
2 to 4 cloves garlic, peeled and slivered
1 cup good-quality bread crumbs (aka the “sand”)
Directions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then cook the spaghetti according to the package directions.
While the spaghetti cooks, heat olive oil and garlic in a skillet over medium heat. Cook gently and remove from heat when the garlic browns.
Mix breadcrumbs with 2 tablespoons of the heated olive oil. Spread bread crumbs on a baking sheet and broil until just lightly toasted. Watch carefully. (Writer’s note: you can set the pour the olive oil and garlic into a bowl and use that same skillet to toast the bread crumbs.)
Toss the oil, spaghetti, and breadcrumbs together. Salt to taste.
Redditor @Ciaolavinia posted the recipe online, prompting many commenters to share their honest thoughts.
“This is called dirty pasta in my neck of the woods, and it’s good,” shared one commenter. Another said, “Just needs some chopped parsley, and maybe a tiny spot of lemon juice and we’re carb-coma’ed.”
Feel free to switch up this easy-as-pie pasta dinner. Add herbs, more aromatics, or your protein of choice to make it your own. It’s what Nora would do!
Read the original article on Allrecipes
Dining and Cooking