How to Make Haitian Sardines, Tomatoes and Pasta

This is one of those quick Haitian comfort meals. Simple ingredients, bold flavors. It is budget friendly, filling, and perfect for busy days when you still want something tasty.

This dish brings me straight back to childhood. Fast, easy, and always satisfying. And it is not only a dinner. We eat this for breakfast or lunch in my house all the time.

Sardines and pasta is what you make when the cupboard is thin and everybody is hungry now. One can of fish, one box of pasta, and whatever is in the crisper drawer.

Nobody calls this a recipe, they just call it dinner. But people keep asking me for it, so here it is written down.

What You Need

The pasta

• 1 box spaghetti or macaroni. Either one. Use what is in the cabinet

The sardines

• 1 can sardines in oil. You can use sardines in tomato sauce too. Both work
• 2 tbsp oil. Use the sardine oil for extra flavor. That is where the flavor already is

The aromatics

• 1 small onion, sliced. Sliced, not diced. You want to see it in the pasta
• 1 bell pepper, sliced. Any color. Red is a little sweeter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 fresh tomatoes, diced, or 1 cup canned diced tomatoes. They cook down and turn the pan into a real sauce. Canned works fine when tomatoes are sad at the store

The seasoning and the finish

• 1 heaping spoon of Haitian epis. The homemade seasoning base. This is the flavor foundation of the whole pan
• 1 Maggi cube, or 1 tbsp bouillon powder. The Maggi brings the salt and the savory flavor, so taste before you add any more salt
• 1 tbsp tomato paste. Optional, for color and depth. It makes the sauce redder and thicker
• Fresh parsley, for garnish. It cuts the richness
• Scotch bonnet or hot pepper. Optional, for heat. You decide how brave you are

How I Made It

1. Cook the pasta

Boil the pasta according to the package directions, drain it, and set it aside.

Start this first. Everything else moves fast once the pan is going.

2. Saute the aromatics

In a pan, heat the oil, then add the onion, bell pepper and garlic. Cook until softened and fragrant.

Use the sardine oil here. Pour it in with the rest.

3. Add the epis and tomatoes

Stir in the epis, the diced tomatoes, and the tomato paste. Cook until saucy, about 5 minutes.

Give it the full five. You want the tomatoes broken down into a sauce, not chopped tomatoes sitting in oil.

4. Add the sardines

Drop in the sardines. Keep them whole or break them up, your choice. Stir gently.

Be gentle. Sardines are already soft and they will turn to paste if you stir them hard.

5. Season

Add the Maggi cube and the hot pepper. Cook 2 to 3 minutes until everything blends.

Crush the cube so it dissolves instead of sitting in one corner of the pan.

6. Toss the pasta

Add the cooked pasta to the pan and mix well, letting it soak up all the flavor.

Keep tossing. You want every strand coated, not a pile of plain pasta with sauce sitting on top.

7. Finish

Garnish with fresh parsley and serve hot.

Things people ask me about this one

Do I have to use the sardine oil?

No, but you are throwing away the best part. If sardine oil is too strong for you, use half of it and top up with regular oil.

Sardines in oil or in tomato sauce?

Either one. Oil is what I usually grab. Tomato sauce gives you a redder pan with no tomato paste needed.

What is epis?

Epis is the Haitian seasoning blend we use as the base for almost everything. Blended garlic, peppers, onions, herbs and spices. It goes into meats, stews and pasta like this. I keep a jar of it in the fridge at all times.

What if I cannot find Maggi cubes?

Bouillon powder, one tablespoon. Any brand. It is the same idea.

Is this spicy?

Only if you make it spicy. The Scotch bonnet is optional and it is the only heat in the dish.

My kids will not eat fish. Will they eat this?

Mine do. Break the sardines up small so it reads as sauce instead of fish sitting on top of pasta.

Two swaps that actually change it

• Sardines in tomato sauce. Works just as well, and the sauce goes in the pan with the fish. You end up with a redder plate and you can leave the tomato paste out.
• No heat for the kids. Skip the Scotch bonnet entirely, or drop it in whole and fish it out before you serve. Grown folks can mash theirs into their own bowl.

Leftovers, and the one thing I would not do

Cool it down and keep it covered in the fridge 3 days.

The pasta keeps drinking up the sauce while it sits. Reheat it in a pan with a small splash of water and it loosens right back up.

I would not freeze this one. The sardines get soft and the pasta goes to mush. It is a 30 minute meal anyway, just make it fresh.