SPAGHETTI WITH SARDINES AND CHILLI

Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 30 minutes

Serves 4

Tinned fish suffers from a bad reputation thanks to the prevalence of cheap, substandard products, but about a year ago my mate, the restaurateur Mitch Tonks, launched his own range and it’s proof of what a luxury this can be. For years we’ve both been inspired by the quality of Spanish tinned fish; when you open a tin of the good stuff, you realise there are endless possibilities for it, from tapas to pasta dishes like this.

INGREDIENTS

– 320g dried spaghetti – 2 x tins sardines in

olive oil

– 2 medium shallots,

finely chopped

– 2 garlic cloves, finely

grated or crushed

– 1 medium red or green chilli, finely chopped, seeds and all

– 1 tbsp tomato purée – 60ml extra-virgin

olive oil

– 1-2 tbsp chopped

parsley

METHOD

Cook the spaghetti in boiling salted water according to the packet instructions, then drain in a colander, keeping some of the cooking liquid to adjust the sauce later.

Meanwhile, drain the oil from the sardines into a saucepan (setting the sardines aside) and cook the shallot, garlic and chilli on a low heat for a couple of minutes until soft.

Add the tomato purée, half of the additional olive oil and 100ml of the pasta cooking water, and simmer for 5-6 minutes. Chop up the sardines, add to the sauce and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sardines will be breaking down into the sauce now; add a little more pasta water if necessary, until the sauce is a good coating consistency for pasta.

To serve, fold the pasta into the sauce, add the parsley and the rest of the oil, and stir over a low heat for a minute or so, allowing the pasta to absorb some of the sauce. Season to taste and transfer to warmed bowls to serve.