Do Not Fear the Marmite! (Otherwise Entitled: Spaghetti with Marmite)

Marmite has fascinated me for years.  What can I say?  I'm obviously not British, so I did not grow up eating the stuff.  But I am someone who has a tendency to pay attention to all things British.  That is why when I heard ages ago that there is a spread ... that comes in a jar ... that is a yeast extract ... filled with B vitamins ... and considered so wholesome that children of all ages should be eating it up ... I paid attention.  But really.  Yeast extract?  Pardon me while I gag.

I remember I even sent an email to my Scottish friend, Polly, asking her all about it.  'What is this Marmite and Vegemite stuff I keep hearing about?'  To which she responded, 'It's nasty and I don't think you'd like it.'  Well, alright then, enough said. 

But then it started appearing in all the grocery stores in the area: Whole Foods, QFC, Metropolitan Market, and the like.  And as I walked through one of those stores with Emilia a month or so ago, I couldn't help but be drawn in -- that jar is quite attractive.  It just looks so marvelously British that I can't help but like it.  So, naturally, we bought a jar.  And then I put it in the pantry and proceeded to stare it down -- every time I opened the door.  Hmmm, what is one to do with the stuff anyway?  Because I'll tell you right now -- smearing it on a piece of toast in the morning does not sound appetizing.  At all.  Not even a little bit.

Lo and behold Nigella's new cookbook came in the mail a week or so ago (I reallyreallyreally must stop doing the pre-order on new cookbooks before our checking account explodes), and as I sat thumbing through the pages, I saw it: Spaghetti with Marmite.  The recipe comes complete with pictures of children eating it up and everything.  And, according to Nigella (who is so gorgeous it makes me downright irritable), she has never met a child who does not like it.  Sold!

It's now a week or so later and I've already made it twice.  The first time was when Michael was out of town and I wanted to test it out on Emilia.  Do you know, I cooked this up and served it alongside roasted cauliflower and sauteed kale (because that is what we had in the fridge)?  Emilia ate every bite.  (Gasp!)  And then she asked for more.  So did I.  And when I pulled the jar out a few days ago to make it again, Emilia saw it on the counter and said, 'Mama cooking Marmite!  Yummy!'

I'm not sure if this means that the girl is a fellow Anglophile, or if she just has a taste for Marmite. Either way, I'm content.

Spaghetti with Marmite
serves 4-6, depending on age and appetite

375g dried spaghetti
50g unsalted butter
1 teaspoon Marmite, or more to taste
freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add a tablespoon of salt, and then cook the pasta according to the directions on the package.

Just before the pasta has finished cooking, melt the butter in a small saucepan.  Add the Marmite and a tablespoon of the pasta water.  Stir it thoroughly to dissolve.  Reserve about half a cup of the pasta water, and then drain the pasta.  Pour the Marmite mixture over the top, adding a bit of the water if it seems dry.  (You will want it a bit on the slippery side.)  Dish up, and serve with plenty of grated Parmesan.  It also doesn't hurt if you serve it alongside any vegetables that your child may not traditionally be inclined to gobble up.  (Recipe from: Kitchen by Nigella Lawson.  Chatto & Windus, 2010.)