Spaghetti with Roasted Tomatoes, Smoked Mackerel and Arugula

Lately I’ve been doing that totally pathetic thing that nearly all women do in Spring, The terrible season that forces us to realize that everything we’ve eaten from Thanksgiving turkey to Valentines soufflé has taken it’s toll. And now that we’re expected to go to beaches and lie around half naked, we’re getting a little panicky.So I’m being super boring, and eating salads and working out and pretending it’s all to make myself feel better, and that it’s for my health, instead of just being honest with myself, and admitting that it’s totally just for my ego. Don’t get me wrong, I like being active, and I love vegetables, it’s just that this whole bikini season is getting a bit on my nerves this year. I mean, I have a nice body, and it does remarkable things, like let me stand up for 16 hours a day without complaining too heavily, and let’s me go for long bike rides, and play tennis and hike up mountains. Maybe I’ve got it all right. And as I was thinking this, I also thought about that fabulous line from Sofia Loren. The one she said after she, one of the most beautiful women to ever live, was trashed apart in magazines for having cellulite. And her response, which she was shocked to have to give, was “Everything you see, I owe to spaghetti.” So today, let’s eat spaghetti, and not feel guilty. Let’s just enjoy it for what it is. This one is especially good I think, it’s filled with roasted tomatoes and smoked mackeral and loads of fresh basil. It’s the sort of thing that feels like the perfect Spring dinner, it’s hearty but also fresh and so packed with flavour I didn’t find myself eating quite as much as normal. Small miracles, curtesy of Sofia Loren.

Spaghetti with Roasted Tomatoes and Smoked Mackerel

1lb Cherry Tomatoes 150g of Smoked Mackerel, flaked ¼ cup Olive Oil 3 Sprigs of Thyme 3 cloves of Garlic, minced. ½ Onion, sliced 1 bunch of Basil, thinly sliced 2 cups Baby Arugula 1 lb Spaghetti Parm for on top. Salt and Pepper

Preheat the oven to 400F Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and toss them with them with half of the olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme. Lay them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake until they get slightly browned and the juices run. In a large saucepan over medium heat warm up the rest of the olive oil. Add the onion and cook it slowly until they’re soft. Add the garlic and cook for another minute until just fragrant. Add the tomatoes and the mackerel and bring up to a high heat. Cook for 1 minute then remove from heat. Bring a large pot full of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta to the package instructions. Toss with the tomato sauce and shredded basil. Top with parm and serve!