THIS is one of the easiest and quickest meals to make – perfect for a light lunch or supper; ideal on its own, or with a side salad and some garlic bread.

It was inspired by a lunch taken in a street café at Castelsardo in northern Sardinia, some ten years ago.

The handful of ingredients suggests a simple dish, but it has an amazing depth of flavour from the anchovies, garlic and parmesan in the sauce.

Anchovies can be strong-tasting, but once melted into a sauce like this, the fishy saltiness mellows and acts as a foil to the sweetness of the garlic and tomato in the sauce.

Serve over spaghetti, topped with lots of freshly grated parmesan cheese and black pepper.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 onion, finely chopped
Glug of olive oil
1 small tin of anchovy fillets
2 large cloves of garlic, crushed
Good pinch of chilli powder (to taste)
Rind of parmesan or few slithers (matchbox size enough)
1 can chopped tomatoes

Method

Gently colour the onions in the olive oil for five minutes or until soft and golden.

Add the anchovies and stir into the onions until dissolved.

Sprinkle over chilli powder, to taste.

Stir in chopped tomatoes.

Add parmesan rind (remove before serving) or a few slithers of parmesan (which will melt into the sauce).

This should be ready in ten to 15 minutes, but if you cook it longer the sauce will thicken and flavour will be enhanced.

Serve over spaghetti.