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Concoction Pasta

Also known as Concoction Pasta (Nigerian Spaghetti Budget Style)

Nigerian Concoction Pasta is the boldly seasoned, deeply spiced Nigerian interpretation of Italian spaghetti — cooked directly in a pepper and tomato sauce with whatever proteins are available. Unlike Italian pasta dishes, Nigerian pasta is not served with a separate sauce on top — the pasta is cooked together with the sauce so every strand absorbs the Nigerian seasonings completely.

Concoction Pasta, Nigerian cooking

Ingredients

  • a big piece of spaghetti or any pasta shape
  • 3 big ripe tomatoes, blended
  • 2 Tatashe (red bell peppers), blended
  • 2 Atarodo (hot chilli peppers), blended
  • 1 big onion, sliced
  • 3 cooking spoons of vegetable oil
  • 1 tin of sardines or tuna — optional
  • 2 big handfuls of ground dried crayfish
  • 2 seasoning cubes (Knorr), crushed
  • 1 teaspoon of curry powder
  • Salt to taste
  • Water as needed

Method

  1. 01

    Cooking the Pasta. Boil pasta in salted water according to package instructions until al dente — slightly undercook by 2 minutes. Drain and set aside.

  2. 02

    Making the Nigerian Sauce. Heat oil in a wide pot. Add sliced onion and fry 2 minutes. Add blended tomatoes, Tatashe and Atarodo. Fry for 15 minutes until deeply cooked and oil floats on top. Add tinned fish if using, ground crayfish, seasoning cubes, curry and salt.

  3. 03

    Combining. Add the drained pasta to the Nigerian sauce. Stir vigorously over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes until every strand is coated in the sauce and the pasta has absorbed the flavours. Add a splash of pasta cooking water if the sauce is too thick.

  4. 04

    Serving. Serve immediately in bowls. The Nigerian Concoction Pasta should be intensely coloured red-orange and richly flavoured throughout every strand.

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