Images and text with permission from Eat Like A Sardinian by Francesco Mattana, photography by Dave Brown. Published by Murdoch Books.
When we asked chef Francesco Mattana which recipe in his debut cookbook best represents who he is as a chef today, we were bracing for something we’d need three trips to the specialty store for. Instead, he gave us Spaghetti al Pomodoro e Zafferano. Turns out the chef whose viral Spaghetti al Pomodoro introduced millions of people to his cooking still believes the simplest plate on the table is often the best one, he just added a pinch of saffron and called it a day.
As Francesco told us in our In the Kitchen interview, that saffron is doing a lot of quiet, beautiful work here, lending the sauce an aroma that makes the whole dish feel a little more special without asking any more of you in the kitchen. It’s the recipe he built for the nights you don’t feel like cooking but still want dinner to taste like you tried, proof that good technique and a short ingredient list aren’t mutually exclusive.
A few good tomatoes, a pinch of saffron and great olive oil are really all you need.
Serves 2
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for drizzling 1 large garlic clove, lightly crushed 500g (1lb 2oz) sweet baby plum tomatoes, halved 10g (1/3oz) basil, leaves picked, plus extra for garnish 100ml (scant 1/2 cup) water 200g (7oz) spaghetti 1/2 teaspoon ground saffron 25g (1oz) pecorino or Grana Padano cheese, grated, plus extra to serve
Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil, ready to cook the pasta.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan or saucepan over a medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Ensure the garlic infuses the oil but doesn’t burn.
Add the tomatoes and season with a good pinch of salt. Stir in half of the torn basil leaves and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the water to help the tomatoes soften, then cover the pan and let the sauce simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have broken down to create a chunky sauce.
While the sauce is simmering, salt the boiling water and cook the spaghetti according to the packet instructions, or until al dente.
When the pasta is almost ready, remove the garlic clove from the sauce, place it on a board and mash it into a purée, then place it back in the sauce. Add the saffron, stir well and cook for a further 2 minutes.
Use tongs to transfer the spaghetti to the pan with the sauce. Increase the heat to medium high and toss the spaghetti in the sauce to coat it evenly. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of the pasta water to loosen it. Remove the pan from the heat, sprinkle over the cheese and the remaining basil, then drizzle with oil and stir well once more.
Serve the spaghetti straight away with more cheese and basil, if desired.
TOP TIP You can also blend the sauce until smooth after adding the saffron if you prefer a velvety tomato sauce.
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