Sardine & Green Olive Spaghetti with Chilli Crumbs

preparation 5–10 minutes
cook time 20 minutes
Serves 4

A largely store-cupboard recipe, this robust pasta dish is frugal yet completely delicious. The sardines break up very easily, so add them to the sauce just to warm them through at the end of cooking

Recipe taken from Good Food Fast by Emily Jozen (National Trust Books, £14.99)

Ingredients Method

4 garlic cloves
250g cherry tomatoes
4 tbsp olive oil
50g fresh breadcrumbs
Chilli flakes, to taste
300g spaghetti
125g pitted green olives, chopped
2 tbsps capers, chopped
2 x 125g cans of sardines in tomato sauce
1 lemon, halved
A small bunch of parsley, chopped

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Peel and crush the garlic. Halve the cherry tomatoes. To make the chilli crumbs, heat half the oil in a large frying pan over a low to medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and fry for 2 minutes, until turning golden. Add half the garlic and add chilli flakes and salt to taste. Cook for a further 1–2 minutes, until fragrant and crisp. Scrape out of the pan and set aside.

Cook the spaghetti for 10–12 minutes, until al dente. Add the remaining oil and garlic to the frying pan and fry over a low to medium heat for 1 minute. Then add the tomatoes and cook for a further 6 min, until beginning to break down.

Drain the pasta, reserving a mugful of the cooking water. Add the olives, capers and sardines to the frying pan – stir gently to warm through. Toss the pasta through the sauce, loosening with a little of the cooking water if necessary. Check the seasoning and add lemon juice, to taste. Serve the spaghetti with a sprinkling of parsley and breadcrumbs.