Marmite; do you love or hate it?

Marmite; you either love it or you hate it as they say... But is there any goodness in this salty spread? 

It is made from yeast (which makes it vegan) and is a rich source of B vitamins, especially B1, B2, B3, folic acid and B12. 1 portion which is approx 8 grams delivers 50% NRV for most of the B vitamins mentioned above. 

Why are B vitamins so important in our diet? Well firstly they are all water-soluble and can't be made by the body, so they must be a component of your diet and secondly they play a large role in energy metabolism. 

Do you love marmite and pasta? Read on for a quick and easy recipe we just can't get enough of! 

Marmite Pasta 

Ingredients

egg yolks 2 (skip this ingredient to make this a vegan recipe) 

Marmite 2 tsp 

parmesan or a vegan alternative 30g, finely grated, plus extra to serve

Spaghetti or your favourite pasta 175g 

garlic 

extra virgin olive oil 

curly parsley a small handful, finely chopped to serve

Method 

STEP 1 

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil while you beat together the egg yolks,Marmite and grated parmesan with some freshly ground pepper. For a vegan recipe, do this with a tiny bit of extra virgin olive oil or liquid vegan egg replacement. Once the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook until just tender. 

STEP 2 

Put the garlic and 2 tbsp olive oil in a cold frying pan, then bring to a medium heat and fry until the garlic is golden and crispy. 

STEP 3

Reserve a small cup or pasta water then drain. Take the frying pan off the heat and add your pasta to it followed by the Marmite mixture and a good splash of the pasta water. Toss together until the pasta is glossy and evenly coated. Serve with plenty more grated parmesan or vegan alternative and sprinkle some parsley. 

For our readers who are meat-eaters, fry 125g of diced pancetta with the garlic clove. 

Try our other quick, easy and delicious pasta recipe here!