We are still in the South – now in Northern Spain near Barcelona. It’s summer & it’s hot. So all we need for dinner is a pasta dish … Did I ever mention that we are true pasta lovers?
All’ ammiraglio … Let this melt on your tongue!
We are dealing w/ a very simple & very easy spaghetti dish – quick & dirty!
… it looks so innocent! Be careful: it’s really hot & burns like hell inside you, wakes you up, heats you up … & leaves you feeling full & happy w/ the world – even if it’s hot still in the evening!
I found this recipe years ago in one of my oldest cookbooks on Italian pasta dishes. It’s only a small book, no mouth-watering pictures, but lots of straightforward ideas to pimp plain pasta.
You’ve already realized that there are only few ingredients …
… so let’s summarise:
- spaghetti
- spring onions
- fresh garlic
- dried chili peppers
- canned sardines.
Start cooking the spaghetti … & in parallel start frying the sauce …
Chop the spring onions, press the garlic & start frying in some olive oil. Add the well mashed sardines: you’ve saved the sardines out of their can together w/ the olive oil – then take a fork & mash them thoroughly.
The spaghetti will continue cooking alongside … Add some hot pasta water to the sardine mess if it seems too dry!
When doing the post for the 1st time I happened to have a can of sardines in my pantry: w/o skin, w/o backbone, but w/ chili peppers in olive oil. So I started frying w/ this chili-ed olive oil (about a tablespoon) & added another tablespoon of olive oil. I also added the chili pepper I found in the can & put another dried chili pepper on top.
Don’t give way to despair: you may also start w/ a can filled w/ sardines in whatever oil. Drain the oil in this case … You need not skin the sardines – the skin is very, very thin. Maybe you should discard the backbone – it’s up to you! In this case maybe you should start w/ more than 2 dried chili peppers because oil & sardines are not filled w/ chili flavours!
Did I change anything when now in the south?
I worked with white onions … and I made sure to buy a can filled w/ sardines in olive oil w/ red chili peppers inside. Instead of pressing the garlic I minced it as finely as possible.
So: the spaghetti are ready – meaning your sauce is also ready.
Just add the sauce to the spaghetti …
… & mix thoroughly!
(Don’t forget to discard the chili peppers!)
If you think it’s too dry you may add some more olive oil: best from the very beginning of frying. Or you may add now some liquid whipping cream!
Enjoy!
- 150 g spaghetti
- 2 spring onions
- 1-2 dried chili peppers
- 1 clove of garlic
- 80 g canned sardines 1 can
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt & pepper
- 2-3 tbsp whipping liquid cream (optional)
- Cook the spaghetti according to the recommendation on the package, drain the spaghetti & put them in a large bowl.
- In the meantime chop the spring onions.
- Add olive oil to a pan & start frying the spring onions.
- Press the garlic & add to the spring onions.
- Add chili peppers.
- Mash the sardines & add to the rest.
- If it seems to dry add some hot pasta water.
- Discard the chili peppers.
- Add salt & pepper to taste.
- Stir in some cream – optional.
- When the spaghetti are ready the sardine mess is also ready.
- Mix spaghetti & sardine mess thoroughly.
- Serve immediately.
