'Twas the night before payday

..... and I had not a penny in my bank account. How, how do I always do this? I got home ravenous and had to raid the freezer and the cupboards to make an impromptu dinner, based on whatever was available. I didn't even have a bloody onion in the house. Fortunately, we always have loads of garlic. So, out of the freezer came the chicken livers and the frozen half tin of chopped tomatoes and into the frying pan went some olive oil and an abundance of chopped garlic.

"Ewwwwww" say several people when I mention chicken livers. But cooked properly they are divine, meaty, tender, full of flavour and very cheap - even an organic pack will only set you back around £2. 

So the garlic is happily softening away, filling the flat with that delicious smell. Into the pan go the frozen chopped tomatoes, some tomato puree, a large slug of red wine - yes, we have wine in the house, but no onions, typical - and plenty of salt and pepper. I also added some ready prepared chopped chilli, which we always seem to have in a jar in the fridge.  Let it bubble and then turn down and leave on a low heat. Put some pasta, that other store cupboard staple, on to cook, plenty of water plenty of salt. 

While the pasta is cooking away, chop the chicken livers into small pieces. (I sent the vegetarian who currently resides with me out of the kitchen at this point). Fry them until the outsides are brown over a high heat - about 2-3 minutes tops. Then add them to the tomato sauce and leave on the lowest heat. You only want the chicken livers to cook ever so slightly more, they should be still pink in the middle. Taste the sauce and see if it needs more seasoning. AT the last minute, throw in half a can of cooked canellini beans, or whatever beans you have in the house. 

Once the pasta has finished cooking, stir the sauce into it and serve. Simple, cheap and tasty. And I made enough for lunch the following day - proper austerity measures! Picture below: 

Fusili alla fegato