BY MICHAEL DEVLIN

What is the tastiest snack in the world? No doubt this is decided the world over on a daily basis in terms of personal relish, disposition and environment.

One man's passion is another man's random detritus, after all. But for a moment, suspend belief and imagine there is such a thing as the World Championships for The Tastiest Snack In The World®

Who would win? I think I have a contender.

During a recent trip to Italy I came into contact with a new twist on spaghetti, one I am surprised I have never noticed before, especially since it has turned out to be such a revelation.

Since I've returned home I find myself making it at every opportunity. If you come to the house, I have to make it for you. If I'm having a beer I have to make it. If it's raining outside, I'll have to make it. I'm not entirely sure what makes it so great, but I simply cannot get enough of Fried Spaghetti.

I understand this may sound like a bit of a contradiction in culinary terms but fried spaghetti or spaghetti fritters or whatever it's called in Italy is better than you can imagine it to be.

Actually for the purpose of this article, we will now refer to the fried spaghetti as Fraghetti. So, how do you make it?

INGREDIENTS

Handful of normal, bog-standard spaghetti

1 egg

1 clove of garlic (finely sliced)

half a chilli pepper (finely chopped)

handful of grated parmesan (forget about the pre-grated stuff it's rank)

handful of chopped fresh herbs any variety with big leaves

a good glug of olive oil

THE PLAN

Well, all you have to do – and this literally couldn't be simpler is, boil up your small handful of spaghetti as you normally would according to the packet instructions – but break in two first. While that's happening, crack the egg into a bowl and add the chopped clove of garlic, parmesan, chilli pepper and a handful of whatever fresh herbs you can get your hands on and mix well. Herbwise, I have so far tried flat leaf parsley and basil and even a combination of both and they work supremely well.

Once your spaghetti is cooked through, let it go beyond al dente for best results, drain and run under cold water to cool through. When that's done, season the eggy mixture (adding salt too soon to eggs makes them go all watery) and then dump the spaghetti into the mix. Mix this all about and you're almost there.

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and then, using a fork, pick up a little load and dump into the pan. I haven't timed it, but this should take any more than a few minutes either side but ideally, the spaghetti fritter should be golden and crispy on the outside and moist and succulent inside. You can make them as big or as little as you like, but once you've done a few you'll soon decide how you like them

When it's cooked, stick it on a bit of kitchen paper to drain. Add a sprinkling of sea salt and enjoy.

I am not kidding when I say that this has changed my snacking life for ever more. Even just thinking about it means I'm going to have to have it this evening. One of these and a beer is sheer bliss.

Just in case you were wondering, Spaghetti is the plural form of the Italian word spaghetto, which is a diminutive of "spago," meaning "thin string" or "twine". The word "spaghetti" can be literally translated as "little strings."

Little strings of lethalness.