The Netflix show "With Love, Meghan".

By Michele

Have you been watching the Netflix Show "With Love, Meghan"?

If you haven’t seen it or heard about it, you must be living under a rock!

The series is primarily set in a fabulously cozy and stylish kitchen where The Duchess of Sussex invites you in to share her favorite tips and tricks for cooking, flower arranging, and entertaining. In her presentation, she reminds me of Ina Garten – calm, warm, confident, friendly and talented.

Feeding people, as she mentions throughout the series, is her love language. “The only thing better than eating food is making food for someone and watching them eat it with delight.”  I couldn’t agree more!

Since the launch of her show, there has been a tremendous amount of talk worldwide on the Internet about this series. People either love the pastoral backdrop of the kitchen and gardens where she entertains friends, or they hate it because they find the Duchess pretentious. They also criticize the fact that she is filming in a rental home in her neighborhood, rather than using her own home. To that end, she has stated that she wanted to protect her private home and kitchen given that it is a safe haven for her family, thus the rental space.

The most controversial recipe she made was in episode one, a “single skillet spaghetti.”  There were both negative comments that it’s a copycat recipe or that it needs tweaking, and glowing comments on it being an easy, delicious and comforting one pot dish, I just had to try it myself.

The Duchess did not give any measurements to her recipes, so I watched her making the dish over and over again, then eyeballed the ingredient amounts. However, she herself pointed out that eyeballing the ingredients is just fine.

Below is her recipe, followed by my own version.  

Ingredients (serves 2)

2 cups cherry tomatoes (multi-colored preferred), cut in half

Salt

2 - 3 tablespoons of EVOO

3 gloves of garlic, minced

½ lb. spaghetti

Zest of 1 lemon

3 cups of boiling water

2 cups Swiss chard, chopped

2 cups baby arugula (or rocket as she called it)

Pinch of red chili flakes to taste

3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, more to taste

Preparation

1. In a large skillet with lid, and while off the heat add the tomatoes, salt, evoo, pasta and top with lemon zest.

2. Bring skillet to stove top and add hot water to cover all. Place lid on skill and turn on heat to medium low to boil for about six minutes.

3. Remove lid, reduce heat, add in chard and cook for about six minutes until pasta water is almost absorbed. Add in arugula, chili flakes and parmesan cheese.  Stir constantly.

   
   

   

   
   

   

   
   
   
   

   

The verdict: creamy without cream, varying textures delight the palate, and it’s oh so healthy! I thought the recipe was spot on and it will now be in my rotation for an easy dinner made in one pot.

Next, I made my own version but kicked it up a notch by adding a spicy protein. Not quite as healthy as the first version though.

Note to the cook: I used my Le Creuset braiser pan for both recipes, but you can use any large skillet with a lid.

Ingredients (serves 2)

3 Tablespoons EVOO, separated: 1 tablespoon, plus 2 tablespoons

1 large link of Andouille (or Italian) sausage, casing removed, and meat separated

1 shallot, thinly sliced

1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half

Salt

3 gloves of garlic, minced

½ pound spaghetti

Zest of 1 lemon

3 cups of boiling water, more as needed

Pinch of red chili flakes to taste

2 cups kale, chopped

3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, more to taste

2 cups baby spinach

Basil leaf for garnish

Preparation

1. In a large braising pan or skillet with lid, heat 1 tablespoon of EVOO. Add sausage meat and sauté for two minutes, then add shallot for another minute.  Turn off heat at this point.

2. Add tomatoes, salt and garlic, then top with spaghetti. Cover spaghetti with lemon zest and add in boiling water to cover everything in the pan. Turn heat back on to medium low and place lid on pan. Bring contents to a boil, for about six minutes.

3. Remove lid, reduce heat to low and continue to cook for about six minutes until pasta is al dente and most of the liquid is absorbed. Stir, mixing all the ingredients. Add red chili flakes, baby kale and cheese and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add spinach and cook until wilted. Top with remaining EVOO. 

4. Serve, garnished with basil leaf.

   
   

   

   
   

   

   
   

   

The verdict: This version was spicier. The sauce was creamy, as well, without the use of cream.