Well, I wasn’t going to send it back and wait another 90 minutes to get a replacement! One of my companions offered to decapitate it for me and then ask the waiter to take the head away. I decided to just cover its hapless head with my napkin. It worked for me, and the fish was delicious.

So I don’t know if my mind would accept this dish as merely mozzarella cheese balls and wide green noodles, or whether my weird eyeball phobia would kick in. As I once advised my sister, confronting a mushroom, “There are always two choices you have when you get something in your mouth that you don’t like. You can spit, or you can swallow.” Simple, yes?

 

INGREDIENTS

3.5 oz. (100g) cherry tomato

5.25 oz. (150g) pack mini mozzarella balls, drained

Handful of basil

14 oz. (400g) green tagliatelle pasta

12 oz. (350g) jar tomato pasta sauce

4 Tbsp. fresh pesto

 

INSTRUCTIONS

 

Halve the cherry tomatoes and use a small, sharp knife or a teaspoon to remove the seeds. Cut the mozzarella balls in half. Place one half inside each tomato, trimming the edges if necessary to fit it in. Either cut the smallest circles you can from a basil leaf or finely chop the leaves and scrunch into small circles. Place one at the center of each mozzarella ball.

Boil the pasta, according to package directions.

Meanwhile, heat through the tomato sauce. When the tagliatelle is cooked, drain and stir through the pesto and any remaining basil, chopped finely. Divide between 4-6 serving bowls. Spoon over some tomato sauce, then arrange the stuffed tomato eyeballs on top.

USE RED NEXT PAGE LINK BELOW

NEXT

Quick Tip:  Add a small amount of oil and a dash of salt to the water you are using to cook the pasta. This will season it and keep it from forming clumps.

Recipe and image courtesy of Emma at BBC Good Food