This dish, adopted from Ifrah F Ahmed’s Pasta and Spiced Tuna Sauce at NYT Cooking is a staple of Somalian households. It has a unique blend of spices and fresh herbs. It is delicious with pasta, pizza, casseroles and bakes.
Makes enough sauce for 4 servings.
Pasta With Spiced Mackerel And Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
70-90 grams brown rice noodles, per serving
1 white or brown onion, peeled
4-6 cloves garlic, peeled
120 gram can of wild caught mackerel
handful of cilantro stems
2 tbs xawaash spice blend
680 grams organic tomato passata (no citric acid, salt etc added)
2 tbs organic coconut aminos
salt and pepper to taste
xawaash spice blend
4 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground cardamon
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
Method
Roast the first six ground spices on a low heat for several minutes stirring constantly until the spices are fragrant. Remove from the heat and place in a small bowl. Add the turmeric and mix. Set aside.
Slice and chop the onion and garlic. Heat up a non stick pan and add the onions with a pinch of salt. Cover and simmer on a low heat for about 10 -15 minutes stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and simmer for an additional minute or two.
Add the mackerel, some olive oil from the can if the fish is in oil and the xawaash spice blend. Add the finely chopped cilantro along with the tomato passata, filtered water to rinse out the jar and coconut aminos. Mix, cover and bring to a boil. Then turn down the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes allowing the spices to blend it and for the sauce to sweeten.
Bring a pot of filtered water to a boil and cook the brown rice pasta according to package instructions. Serve the pasta and ladle the sauce on top. Sprinkle with cashew hemp seed parmesan ‘cheese’ if desired.