It’s Fall, Y’all! Spicy Pasta with Sardines

As I sauntered through the crowd, stuffed into a dirndl for yet *another* Octoberfest (PROST, Y’ALL! Donning other culture’s garb are things people don’t warn you about when you marry outside of your culture!), I noticed that everyone seems ready for fall, especially in what they’re wearing. Like a light switch, we suddenly wear orange and earthy hues, setting aside bright aquas and pastels for spring.

Our cravings change. Back on the farm, this is a simple, hearty pasta you can make quickly when you want savory comfort food without heating up the kitchen. Before the temperatures drop below 35 and it’s cook stove season, I cook on a camp stove or solar cooker. It’s an overcast week, so today I am using the camp stove.

Spicy Pasta with Sardines:
Chop an onion, mince garlic, heat the pan, add Duke’s mayo, stir it around. Add the onions and dry spaghetti, stir to lightly coat and fry a bit… now open a large can of tomatoes and add that (make sure the pasta is under and not poking through) along with just enough water to cover. When the noodles bend, toss in minced garlic, swirl in your fave hot sauce (today, Peri Peri), dump in lots of Amish pepper relish (or make your own with onion, hot and sweet peppers, sugar, vinegar), a tin of sardines, sprinkle in lime juice, seasoning salt, thyme, pepper. Turn off the heat and let the pasta finish cooking and absorb the sauce.

This should be salty, savory, and concentrated when the pasta is done. It’s a stick-to-your-ribs fall comfort food with brightness! If I could find fresh parsley or coriander I’d add that too, but I haven’t quite uncovered my garden yet upon our return to the farm after a summer of back-and-forth-to-the-bay.