“I make your coat-on almond biscuits most weeks,” a woman told me in the homeware department of John Lewis on Oxford Street, London, a few months ago. She went on too say that she also attaches the “coat-on” expression to any dish she gets going as soon as she walks through the door (and before she takes off her coat and has a pee), so thinks of me when she makes coat-on lentils, coat-on rice and leeks, coat-on tomato sauce, coat-on couscous with roast vegetables. As much as I wanted to keep the compliment to myself and not share it, I did remind her that I had borrowed the expression from Nigella Lawson and her book How to Eat, to wich the woman replied: “What a generous food writer you are.” I thanked her back, complimented her on her blue jacket, then bounced all the way to the cash desk to pay for the dishcloths and potato peeler, and then all along Oxford Street.
If I ever see that woman again, I need to tell her that, as our meeting, I have also been attaching the prefix “coat-on” to various dishes and actions, not least boiling the kettle to jumpstart the water for coat-on spaghetti. Coincidentally, it is indeed 20 years as I moved to rome; 19 and a half years since Vincenzo and I first argued about how to cook pasta (him telling me I used too little water and salt, and took too much time; me telling him he was supercilious and boring); and 10 years since I first wrote about spaghetti for this column. Some things have changed, others have not (salt), and I now have a medium-sized repertoire of coat-on spaghettis.
The first of these speedy, coat-on favourites is spaghetti with a quick tomato, garlic and chilli sauce. It is described by a Neapolitan friend as a mix between a quick tomato sauce (AKA sciue sciue, pronounced “shway shway” and meaning “hurry hurry”) and that store-cupboard saviour spaghetti with garlic, chilli and olive oil (aglio, olio e peperoncino, or AOP).Like spaghetti AOP, spaghetti with quick tomato, garlic and chilli sauce is not so much a sauce but a flavourful and fast coating for the thin strings of pasta. It is also a condiment in which the olive oil plays a fundamental role, so use the best you have, and don’t skimp.
I have suggested slicing the garlic, but if you want a milder flavour, crush the cloves so thay break but remain whole. If you prefer a more intense flavour, chop the cloves, while, for the most intense flavour of all, squash the cloves with the side of a knife until they reduce to a paste.
The second coat-on recipe is a store-cupboard version of the Sicilian dish pasta con le sarde (pasta with sardines and wild fennel), which also showcases the power (culinary, biblical, or both) of tinned sardines: a small tin or two packs an intensely flavoured punch and goes a long way. If you can find fennel fronds or dill, great, otherwise parsley works
Speedy Sardine & Chilli Spaghetti
This quick and flavorful spaghetti dish combines the richness of sardines with the shining notes of lemon and a touch of chilli heat. Ready in just 15 minutes, it’s a perfect weeknight meal.
!Spaghetti with sardines, chilli and lemon.
Spaghetti with sardines, chilli and lemon.
Ingredients
* 450g spaghetti
* Salt
* 6 tbsp olive oil (or 3 tbsp if your sardines are packed in olive oil)
* 1 red onion, peeled and finely sliced
* 1 x 120g tin sardines, drained – if the sardines are packed in olive oil, save it for the sauce
* 2 anchovies
* 1 tbsp small capers
* 1 tsp red chilli flakes
* 1 handful minced parsley
* Zest of 1 unwaxed lemon, plus a squeeze of juice
Instructions
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4
- Cook the Spaghetti: Bring a pan of water to a boil, season generously with salt, then add the spaghetti and cook according to packet instructions until al dente – meaning firm to the bite.https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/what-does-al-dente-mean
- Sauté the Onion: While the pasta cooks,gently warm the olive oil (including any reserved from the sardine tin) in a large frying pan. add the sliced red onion and a pinch of salt. Cook until the onion softens and becomes fragrant, approximately 5-7 minutes.
- Create the Sardine Sauce: Add the drained sardines, anchovies, capers, and red chilli flakes to the pan. using the back of a fork, gently mash the fish into a soft, oily mixture. Continue to fry gently for another 2-3 minutes. If the sauce is ready before the pasta, remove it from the heat and return it to the flame just before adding the spaghetti.
- combine and Finish: Using a forked spoon or spider sieve, lift the al dente spaghetti directly from the boiling water into the sardine pan, ensuring you bring some of the residual cooking water with it. toss vigorously to combine,allowing the starchy water to emulsify with the oil and create a creamy sauce.
- Add Freshness: Stir in the minced parsley, lemon zest, and a squeeze of lemon juice to taste. serve promptly.
This recipe is adapted from BBC Good Food.