Beggar's Spaghetti - French Fridays with Dorie

I have to admit that when I read the ingredients for this week's recipe, I was a little leery.  At first I thought it might be like Fettucini Alfredo, but no cream.  I just wasn't sure how this would turn-out.  And I can tolerate raisins, but they're not typically a food that I like to use in my cooking.  There was no linguine (the recipe calls for linguine) to be found on my Monday morning shopping trip, so I decided to make mine with spaghetti noodles instead and I'm glad I did ... easier for kids of all ages to get on their fork & eat. :)

I picked up from Black Mission Figs from our local Trader Joe's store as well as some fresh Parmesan cheese.

This was a very easy & quick recipe to assemble.  While I waited for my water to boil for the pasta, I chopped up figs, raisins, almonds & pistachios.  I then melted some butter in a large skillet and added the nuts & fruits to the butter.  It smelled like dessert!

After the nuts & fruits had cooked long enough in the butter, I tossed in the cooked pasta and then coated it with lots of grated Parmesan cheese.  A little orange zest was added to the top ... very pretty.

When I took my first bite, I was very pleasantly surprised.  I could hardly taste the raisins ... the dried fruits add just a little bit of a fruity taste to it.  I LOVED the toasted, crunchy nuts in the dish and a little bit of orange zest was anther unexpected favorite for this dish.  Sometimes orange zest can be bitter and overpowering, but it was awesome in this dish ... it added just a little bit of sweetness and a fun flavor to enjoy in my mouth with each bite.  I will definitely be making this again.  I think it could be a simple, comforting meal or a very unique appetizer or side dish.