Spaghetti Aglio Olio Sambal Matah
The Blueprint of Bumbu: Foundational Spice Pastes
In the cafes of Jakarta and Bali, they take the minimalist Italian standard—garlic, oil, pasta—and violently wake it up with Sambal Matah. The secret your grandmother would insist upon is restraint. You do not cook the sambal. The pasta and oil are hot, but the condiment remains raw, crunchy, and entirely uncompromised. It’s a masterclass in contrasting temperatures and textures: the pungent funk of toasted shrimp paste, the bright slap of lemongrass, and a gentle bath of warm coconut oil. This is the real deal, pulled straight from an American pantry and onto a weeknight table.
Before you start
Slice the shallots into full circles.
Do not dice them. Slicing them horizontally into intact rings preserves their cellular structure, keeping them crunchy when they meet the salt and oil.
Ingredients
- small shallots1 1/2 cup
- Thai bird's eye chilies8 small
- fresh lemongrass stalks3 med
- Makrut lime leaves6 med
- terasi1 tsp
- salt1/2 tsp
- sugar1/2 tsp
- unrefined coconut oil3 tbsp
- fresh Key lime juice2 tbsp
- dry spaghetti1 lb
- extra virgin olive oil1/4 cup
- garlic cloves6 med
- tuna packed in oil10 oz
Method
- 01
Massage the aromatics by hand.
In a large, heat-proof bowl, combine the shallot rings, chilies, lemongrass, lime leaves, crumbled terasi, salt, and sugar. Put on a clean kitchen glove and gently squeeze and massage the mixture for about a minute. You are bruising the ingredients just enough to force the volatile essential oils to release.
- 02
Bathe the sambal in warm coconut oil.
Gently heat the coconut oil until it is very warm to the touch, but absolutely not smoking. Pour it over the massaged aromatics, toss to combine, and stir in the lime juice. If the oil is too hot, it will fry the shallots into bitter submission—warm oil acts as a carrier, preserving the crucial raw crunch.
- 03
Boil the pasta in heavily salted water.
Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling, ocean-salty water until just shy of al dente. Reserve one cup of the starchy pasta water before draining.
- 04
Build the aglio e olio base.
Place a large skillet over medium-low heat with the olive oil and sliced garlic. Cook gently until the garlic turns a pale golden blonde, then add the drained tuna chunks, gently tossing to warm them through without breaking them down to mush.
- 05
Emulsify the pasta and oil.
Transfer the drained spaghetti directly into the skillet with the garlic and tuna. Add a generous splash of the reserved pasta water and toss vigorously over low heat until the starchy water and oil emulsify into a silky, light sauce.
- 06
Marry the pasta and the raw sambal off the heat.
Remove the skillet entirely from the stove. Pour the reserved Sambal Matah into the hot pasta and toss thoroughly. The residual heat will warm the raw sambal perfectly without cooking it, keeping the alliums crunchy and the lime leaves sharp.
Notes
Finding your funk and citrus.
Terasi (shrimp paste) and Makrut lime leaves can be found at any decent Asian grocer. If terasi is unavailable, a tablespoon of good fish sauce will do the trick in a pinch. If you cannot find Makrut leaves, use a mix of fresh lime and lemon zest, though you'll miss that highly specific, intoxicating floral note.