Looking for a fast, plant-based dinner that tastes far fancier than the effort involved? Drew Barrymore’s vegan harissa spaghetti is ready in about 20 minutes, serves two and is built almost entirely from pantry staples. The secret is harissa, the smoky North African chilli paste that turns a simple cherry tomato sauce into something special. Here’s the recipe from her cookbook Rebel Homemaker, adapted with Australian measures.
I guess if someone was to ask me if I had a signature dish, I’d say this one! Although I’ll note that this is a question I never thought I would receive, because until the last few years, my answer would’ve been “call for takeout.” But this is a dish I can confidently whip up anytime, anywhere. I love that it all comes from pantry staples, like canned tomatoes and dried oregano. Or you could make yourself look like a fancy pants and buy fresh cherry tomatoes and fresh basil and simmer that garlic like a real chef! But the key, no matter, is the harissa. It’s a Tunisian spice that you squeeze out of a tube, and the result is this smoky and delicious flavour I fell in love with.
Drew Barrymore
Vegan harissa spaghetti at a glance
- Serves: 2
- Prep: 5 minutes
- Cook: 15 minutes
- Diet: Vegan, dairy-free and, with chickpea pasta, gluten-free
Ingredients
- 225g packet chickpea spaghetti (Drew recommends Banza; any chickpea or lentil spaghetti works)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 5 garlic cloves, peeled and grated
- ¼ teaspoon dried chilli flakes
- 1 tablespoon onion powder (optional)
- 600g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano (optional)
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley (optional)
- Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons double-concentrated tomato paste
- 2–3 tablespoons harissa paste, plus extra to taste
- ½ cup chopped fresh basil, plus extra to serve
Note: This recipe was written with US measures. An Australian tablespoon is 20ml rather than 15ml, so go slightly lighter on the oil, tomato paste and harissa, then adjust to taste.
Method
- Cook the pasta. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil over high heat and season with 2 tablespoons salt. Add the spaghetti and stir so it doesn’t clump. Boil until just al dente, 6–7 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain. Rinse the chickpea spaghetti under cold water until completely cool and set aside.
- Make the sauce. Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and swirl to coat. Add the garlic, chilli flakes and onion powder, if using, and sauté, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Don’t let the garlic brown.
- Add the tomatoes. Stir in the cherry tomatoes and dried herbs, if using, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the tomatoes start to break down, 4–5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and harissa and cook for 3 minutes more. Taste and adjust with salt, pepper and extra harissa.
- Toss and serve. Add the pasta to the sauce with 1–2 tablespoons of the reserved cooking water to loosen, if needed. The sauce should be thick and concentrated but just loose enough to coat the noodles. Toss for 1 minute, then gently fold through the basil. Divide between plates and serve immediately, finished with a drizzle of the remaining olive oil and extra basil.
Tips for the best harissa spaghetti
- Make it ahead: The sauce keeps, covered, in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat it in a frying pan before tossing through freshly cooked pasta.
- Control the heat: Harissa brands vary a lot in strength. Start with 2 tablespoons and add more once you’ve tasted the sauce.
- Pantry swap: No fresh cherry tomatoes? A 400g can of cherry or crushed tomatoes works well; simmer a few minutes longer to thicken.
- Add protein: Toss through a drained can of chickpeas or some wilted baby spinach to make it heartier.
Frequently asked questions
What is harissa?
Harissa is a smoky, spicy chilli paste from North Africa, most closely associated with Tunisia. It’s usually made from roasted red chillies, garlic, olive oil and spices such as caraway and cumin. You’ll find it in tubes or jars at most Australian supermarkets and delis.
Is Drew Barrymore’s harissa spaghetti gluten-free?
Yes, if you use chickpea or another legume-based pasta and check that your harissa is gluten-free. Regular durum wheat spaghetti works too if you don’t need it gluten-free; cook it according to the packet and skip the cold rinse.
Why rinse the chickpea pasta?
Chickpea pasta releases more starch than wheat pasta and can turn gummy. A quick rinse stops the cooking and keeps the strands separate before they go into the hot sauce.
About Rebel Homemaker
This recipe is an edited extract from Rebel Homemaker: Food, Family, Life by Drew Barrymore with Pilar Valdes, published by Penguin Random House Australia. Photography by Graydon Herriott. The book mixes Drew’s go-to recipes with stories about family, friendship and learning to love cooking at home.
