Spicy, Saucy

Fire up your taste buds with this caliente version of penne ziti pasta. I modified the original recipe and used fillet anchovied sardines instead of plain fillet anchovies. Meanwhile, anchovy stuffed olives took the place of Mediterranean style black olives. Don’t forget to adjust the chili spices accordingly. Personally, I like pasta dishes to taste just mildly hot and not fire extinguisher ready. This dish goes great with rosemary and olive focaccia on the side.

Penne with Spicy Tomato Sauce

1 can anchovied sardines
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup anchovy stuffed olives
1 clove garlic chopped
1 tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley
1 tbsp fresh basil
1 small dried red chili, crushed or pinch of red chili flakes
1/ 8 cup extra virgin olive oil
250 g penne
Salt to taste


Combine the anchovied sardines, tomatoes, olives, garlic, parsley, basil, chile, salt and olive oil in large serving bowl. Stir to blend the flavours and set aside for one hour.

Cook penne until al dente. Drain and transfer the pasta to a serving platter. Add the sauce and stir well. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Serve immediately.

Serves 3.