Weird Spaghetti Goreng (Actually Penne)

Note 1:

My apologies to all Italians. Please do not be offended. Most suburban, traditional Malay households in Malaysia call all pasta "spaghetti" regardless of shapes. We would be lucky if our parents from the 80's or 90's even knew spaghetti at all. Please note I am using Penne.

Note 2:

For those of you who did not know, "cili blend" is a staple household ingredients in most traditional Malay households. It starts with any "cili kering" (dried chili) that you cut roughly with scissors, and boiled in water until "kembang" (enlarges) and soft, then blended with a small amount of water. This is the key ingredients to a lot of Malay "sambal".

Ingredients:

400gm penne* (at least 4/5 out of the packets)

2 bawang merah kecil rose

1/4 tbsp garlic

1/4 cup oil

1 pcs star anise

1/2 medium bawang merah besar

3 tbsp cili blend

1 can tomato puree**

1/2 cup pasta water

1 can tuna chunks***

Seasonings:

8 pcs of pitted black olives****

2 tbsp sugar

1/2 tbsp salt

1/2 tbsp basil leaves

1 tsp ground oregano

1/2 tsp mixed italian herbs

1/2 tsp rosemary leaves

2 pcs bay leaves

*San Remo Penne

**Duchef 220gm Tomato Puree

***TCBoy 150gm Tuna Solid in Extra Virgin Olive Oil

****Loreto Spanish Pitted Black Olives

Steps:

1. Boil penne in salted water for 15-20 minutes, or until firm to bite. Keep some of the pasta water. Drain and set aside.

2. Pound garlic and bawang merah kecil rose until fine. Set aside.

3. Dice red onion until quite fine. Set aside.

4. Halve the black olives. Remove pits if you find any. Set aside.

5. Heat oil in medium wok and sautee the onion paste until light and aromatic.

6. Add in star anise and diced onion. Sautee until light and aromatic.

7. Add in cili blend. Sautee until quite dry, light and oil breaks into the surface.

8. Add in tomato paste. Swirl pasta water in leftover tomato can, and add into the wok too. Stir the tomato gravy until mixed. Continue cooking until tomato gravy is boiling and slightly thickened. 

9. Add in tuna chunks together with all the olive oil and all the other seasonings. Season to taste. 

10. Add in pasta and stir for a while until pasta is mixed with the gravy. Continue cooking if you want it drier. Serve.