I think I died

and went to pasta heaven.

Exactly the words I uttered on my first mouthful of this delicately flavored pasta.


Don't be fooled, though; you can whip up a pasta like this in only 20 minutes. Trust me.

This is just a variation of our favorite tuyo and garlic in olive oil pasta. I used the same ingredients and added red-ripe, plump tomatoes.

I think I haven't mentioned in this blog the specific brand of bottled tuyo we use. This is locally made, and is only available in Metro Ayala supermarket. The bottle is covered in yellow paper, and tied with a twine up on the lid. The name in the bottle reads "Of tuyo and garlic in olive oil" -- probably the manufacturer's attempt at poetic marketing :-P Anyway, it's the only tuyo in olive oil in the market, everything else is in soya oil or corn oil. It shouldn't be that hard to find.

ingredients:

pasta, cooked according to packet directions, set aside some pasta water
1 bottle tuyo and garlic in olive oil
1 whole head garlic, peeled and sliced thinly
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
200 grams red-ripe plump tomatoes, roughly chopped
salt

1. Cook the pasta. Drain and set aside. Save a cup or two of pasta water.
2. While the pasta is cooking, separate the tuyo and garlic from the oil. Shred the tuyo using your hands. Prep the rest of the ingredients.
3. In a heated pan, pour the olive oil from the tuyo. Add more olive oil as necessary.
4. Saute fresh garlic slices.
5. Add chili flakes.
6. Add chopped tomatoes. Mix until softened. Pour a cup of pasta water. Cover to simmer until tomatoes are cooked.
7. Add tuyo.
8. Season with salt.
9. Still on stovetop, add pasta and toss well.
10. Remove from heat; and serve at once.

Note: For the non-native, tuyo is a local term for dried herring fish. This one that I particularly like is the lightly salted variety.


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