Lunch-Hour Pasta With Sardines
Cooking for One
- Course: Main Course
- Features: Fast
Summary:
The key to cooking at work is picking ingredients that pack a lot of flavor and can be easily stored in common refrigerators and/or desk drawers without disrupting -- or unduly tempting -- co-workers.
Tomato paste in a tube is one of those, because it is easier to keep and use in small amounts than the canned version. On the other hand, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese might not be a good item to keep in the office fridge; could you keep others from dipping into it? So in this recipe, it's optional.
1 serving
Ingredients:
- 3 angel-hair pasta nests (about 2 ounces total), such as De Cecco brand
- 4 cups water
- 3 or 4 oil-packed sardines, drained and chopped, plus 1 tablespoon of the oil
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste (see headnote)
- 4 large marinated pitted green olives (preferably in a spicy liquid), finely chopped
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (optional)
Directions:
Place the pasta nests in a large heatproof bowl.
Boil the water in a tea kettle, then pour it over the pasta nests. lmmediately insert a fork into the middle of each nest and swirl to separate the noodles. Cover with a plate and let sit for about 3 minutes or until the pasta is just barely tender.
Meanwhile, combine the sardines and sardine oil, tomato paste and olives in a medium microwave-safe serving bowl; mix well and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover loosely with a paper towel to protect against splattering, then microwave on HIGH for about 30 seconds or until piping hot.
When the pasta is ready, pour off all but about 3 tablespoons of the water, using the plate to hold the pasta in the bowl as the water drains off.
Transfer the pasta and its remaining water to the serving bowl; immediately use a fork to incorporate it into the sauce, stirring and separating the pasta so it does not clump together. Add the cheese, if desired.
Recipe Source:
From Food editor Joe Yonan.
E-mail the Food Section with recipe questions.
(James M. Thresher for The Washington Post)
