Šporki Makaruli

Šporki Makaruli (Croatian 'Dirty' Macaroni)

A rustic Dalmatian pasta that gets its nickname 'šporki' (meaning 'dirty') from the generous, deeply caramelized garlic-onion-tomato sauce that coats every strand. It's humble, frugal food that relies on big flavour from very few ingredients.

Prep

10 min

Cook

35 min

Total

45 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •400 g (14 oz) spaghetti or špageti, break in half before cooking
• •120 ml (½ cup) olive oil, good quality extra virgin
• •8 g (8 cloves) garlic, thinly sliced
• •200 g (1 large) onion, finely chopped
• •400 g (14 oz) ripe tomatoes, fresh, grated on a box grater; or 1 can (400 g) peeled tomatoes crushed by hand
• •1 tsp sweet paprika, mild, ground
• •1 pinch red pepper flakes, optional, to taste
• •salt and black pepper, to taste, coarsely ground black pepper is traditional
• •15 g (¼ cup) fresh parsley, finely chopped, for finishing

Steps

1. 1 Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil (about 10 g salt per litre).
2. 2 Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a wide skillet over medium-low heat. Add the chopped onion and cook gently for 8–10 minutes until soft and golden but not browned.
3. 3 Add the sliced garlic and cook for another 1–2 minutes, stirring, until fragrant and just turning pale gold - do not let it brown or it will turn bitter.
4. 4 Stir in the sweet paprika and the red pepper flakes (if using) and cook for 20 seconds to bloom the spices.
5. 5 Add the grated or crushed tomatoes, season with salt and a generous amount of coarsely ground black pepper, and simmer uncovered for 12–15 minutes until the sauce thickens and the oil begins to separate at the edges. Taste and adjust seasoning.
6. 6 Drop the broken spaghetti into the boiling water and cook until al dente, about 1–2 minutes less than the package time. Reserve about 200 ml (¾ cup) of pasta water before draining.
7. 7 Transfer the drained pasta directly into the skillet with the sauce. Add a splash of the reserved pasta water and toss vigorously over medium heat for 1 minute so the sauce clings to every strand.
8. 8 Loosen with more pasta water if needed - the finished dish should look glossy and slightly soupy, not dry.
9. 9 Rest off the heat for 2 minutes so the pasta absorbs the sauce, then taste once more for salt and pepper.
10. 10 Serve in shallow bowls, topped with a generous sprinkle of fresh parsley and another crack of black pepper. Serve hot.