Pasto al pesto con pollo alla panchina londinese

la panchina londinese

Pasta al pesto con pollo alla panchina londinese

Chicken pesto pasta, London bench style

Serves 1-2

recipe by Westley Aubergine

London is not known to be the epicenter for many culinary delights. Nor, more generally speaking, is the United Kingdom. One may enjoy mushy peas, another may not; one may appreciate beans at breakfast, whereas another, sadly, may not. Of late, the picture has become rosier with the addition of foreign flavors, namely from the Indian sub-continent. But what if one wants a dish truly local, born out of the metropolitan mash-up that is London?

The answer is today’s featured recipe: pasta al pesto con pollo alla panchina londinese. Preparation is simple, yet situational; take care to observe the recipe’s particulars, lest you miss out on the subtler urban notes that this dish has to offer.

Commence with a quantity of chicken pesto pasta. You may go to your favorite importer of Mediterranean products for authentic, hearty Italian spaghetti or penne pasta, for the freshest pine nuts bursting with oils, or for a selection of baby tomatoes that will render your dish unique. But we suggest the pre-packaged pasta at Tesco. Right here is one of this recipe’s English twists that really lets it shine: the Tesco package comes with a snap-together fork, and those lucky enough to find it on the day it expires will be set back a mere £1.65.

The real savoir-faire involved in this recipe is the next step: locating the proper bench. Avoid any you might find across the city’s parks, and please do not consider substituting the bench with stairs, such as those of Trafalgar Square. These will alter the essence of the dish and, depending on pigeon activity, perhaps even render it inedible.

The bench you want will be situated alongside a city street, and facing toward, not away from, the vehicles streaming by. Add sun or shade to taste.

When you are confident you have found the right bench, open your Tesco pack and construct your fork. An explosion of stimuli awaits: cool, slick penne pasta entwined within soft, draping greens, and oblong protein-charged chicken hunks which serve as both the brick and mortar of this meal.

But do not take that first bite, not yet. Not yet, not yet… There the coach comes! Trundling up gorged with passengers, it rumbles by, and you have but to breathe in its particulates and hold up your pack to be seasoned. You may wait for further coaches or buses if you wish, or you may begin to eat now. At your fingertips lies the flavor rainbow of Central London.◊

-W.A.