KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 28 — Listening to Domenico Modugno’s “Volare (Nel blu dipinto di blu)” always evokes a sense of nostalgia in me. Memories of the Amalfi in my youth, of backpacking in Naples and sunbathing in Capri.
The romance of the Italian coast, of a lunch of fresh pasta and even fresher seafood with a blinding view of the Mediterranean Sea.
Now I am older — but aren’t we all? — and the sea seems but a distant memory, a rare occasional treat, if ever.
But who says it has to be this way? I am determined to have lunch by the sea — without ever having to leave home.
Bronze die-cut spaghetti. — Picture by CK Lim
A well-stocked pantry will always save the day: a pack of bronze die-cut spaghetti, cans of sardine packed in extra virgin olive oil, some ripe cherry tomatoes.
If there’s anything I’ve learned from my time in Italy and my Italian friends, it’s that a good meal never needs to be fussy or fancy; it merely needs to be made with care and good ingredients, and eaten slowly, with plenty of time to enjoy it.
Here’s a plate of Mediterranean sardine and tomato spaghetti. Simple, yes, but sensational too, if your taste buds could but talk. Listen to them, then, and linger over every bite.
As the skins of the cherry tomatoes split, their sweetness becomes more pronounced. — Picture by CK Lim
Mediterranean Sardine AND Tomato spaghetti
This is the sort of pasta that relies less on understanding how a few everyday ingredients behave in the pan. Less is more, the saying goes, and I agree.
The choice of bronze die-cut spaghetti is deliberate. Compared to smoother, industrially extruded pasta, its slightly coarse surface gives the sauce something to hold on to.
With a loose, oil-based tomato sauce such as this, that textural difference matters; the spaghetti carries flavour rather than merely swimming through it.
Allowing cherry tomatoes time to soften and burst encourages their juices to escape naturally. This forms the backbone of the sauce without dilution.
As the skins split, their sweetness becomes more pronounced, and the acidity mellows. Don’t rush this stage; patience here translates directly into flavour later.
Unlike a quick wok fry, this sauce requires time so garlic added too early will brown quickly and turn bitter, spoiling the dish. By softening it briefly in the tomato-rich oil, we retain its aroma and sweetness without overwhelming the other elements.
Finally, don’t skip the sugar. We aren’t after a sweet sauce here but sugar acts as a balancing tool rather than a seasoning.
Tomatoes tend to be a tad sharp when concentrated. A restrained pinch of sugar rounds off that edge, ensuring the sardines and olive oil feel welcome too.
Sardines packed in extra virgin olive oil. — Picture by CK Lim
Ingredients
200 gm bronze die-cut spaghetti
2 cans sardines in extra virgin olive oil
250 gm cherry tomatoes
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
A pinch of sugar, to taste
Garlic, to soften rather than browned. — Picture by CK Lim
Method
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to the boil and cook the spaghetti until al dente. Before draining, reserve about a cup of the pasta cooking water.
While the pasta cooks, heat a deep pan over a medium heat and add the olive oil from the sardine tin. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften and burst, releasing their juices. Lightly press some of the tomatoes with a spoon to help the sauce come together.
Add the sliced garlic and cook briefly until softened and fragrant, taking care not to let it colour.
Once the garlic has softened, add the sardines to the pan and gently mash them into the tomatoes, keeping some texture rather than reducing them to a paste.
Serve immediately while hot. — Picture by CK Lim
Add the drained spaghetti directly to the pan and toss to combine. Loosen the sauce with a little reserved pasta water if needed.
Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt, black pepper and a pinch of sugar. Serve immediately whilst hot.
