There is a version of this dish that exists in almost every Nigerian household, even if nobody calls it pasta.

It is the one your aunty makes when she does not feel like cooking but still wants to put something proper on the table. A tin of sardines, some tomatoes, whatever is in the pot. The result is always better than it has any right to be.

This recipe takes that idea and gives it a little more intention — without losing the spirit of it.

What you need (serves 4)

• •1 tin Mega Sardines in tomato sauce
• •400g spaghetti or penne
• •3 medium tomatoes, blended
• •1 red bell pepper, blended
• •1 small onion, finely chopped
• •2 tablespoons tomato paste (Mega, obviously)
• •2 cloves garlic, minced
• •1 teaspoon thyme
• •1 seasoning cube
• •Salt and pepper to taste
• •Vegetable oil
• •Fresh parsley or scent leaf to finish

How to make it...

Boil your pasta in well-salted water until just al dente — not soft, not hard. You want it to have a little resistance because it will finish cooking in the sauce. Drain and set aside. Keep a cup of the pasta water.

In a wide pan, heat two tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add your onion and let it go translucent — about three minutes. Add the garlic, stir for thirty seconds, then pour in your blended tomatoes and pepper. This is the part that requires patience. Let it fry down properly. You are looking for the raw tomato smell to disappear and the sauce to deepen in colour — at least ten to twelve minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally so the bottom does not burn.

Add the tomato paste and stir it through. Season with thyme, your seasoning cube, salt and pepper. Let it cook for another three minutes. Now open your sardines. Do not just dump the whole tin in. Drain off a little of the excess sauce first, then add the sardines in chunks. Fold them in gently — you want pieces, not mush. Let everything cook together for four or five minutes so the sardines absorb the flavour.

A few notes: Do not overcook the sardines. They are already cooked in the tin — they just need to warm through and marry with the sauce. Overworking them turns them to paste, which is not what you are going to for.

Add your pasta to the pan and toss to coat...

If it looks too thick, add a splash of that reserved pasta water and toss again. The sauce should cling to the pasta, not sit at the bottom of the pan. Take it off the heat, scatter over some fresh parsley or torn scent leaf, and serve immediately.