Inspired by the challenge of making sardine spaghetti without tomatoes, this light yet satisfying dish balances the robust umami of sardines with sweet, salty, and woody earth tones. The bright tang of lime lifts the rich flavors, creating a delicate but well-rounded pasta that would be perfect as a light dinner.
Serves: 2
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 150g spaghetti
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1 inch piece of fresh ginger, chopped
- 1 medium- sized red onion, chopped
- 1 small lime
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 can sardines
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/4 tsp dried dill
Method
- Cook the spaghetti in boiling water until half cooked. This should be 2 minutes short of the actual cooking time for the spaghetti. Drain the spaghetti and reserve 1 cup of the hot pasta water.
- Heat the oil on medium-low heat and add the onions, garlic, and ginger. Cook 1 minute or until fragrant.
- Cut the lime in half and squeeze the juice from both halves into the pan. Follow with the salt and stir.
- Add the spaghetti, pasta water and the entire can of sardines. Stir gently, carefully breaking apart the sardines. Increase the heat to medium and leave the spaghetti to cook for another 2 minutes or until the spaghetti is soft.
- Stir in the parsley and dill and cook for another 1 minute.
- Remove from heat.
- Serve warm with extra parsley as a garnish.
Recipe Notes
- The spaghetti should be undercooked at first. The spaghetti will finish cooking in the sauce.