Despite the Italian sounding name, it is actually a "classic" Pinoy reinvention of a well loved canned food, sardinas! Sardines in tomato sauce ranks among the top canned foods bought in stores and served on the table. The Filipinos love affair with sardinas spawned new ways of cooking and serving it. Among the most popular is sardinas con miswa.
Around 15 years ago, during an overnight at a classmates house, I learned of a new way of serving sardinas. Instead of miswa, they used sontanghon noodles and it wasn't the soupy style we all know (and love). It was a sort of dry (knowing how sotanghon noodles absorb moisture).
And from then on, I called it "sarsotti"; sardinas-sotanghon spaghetti. Though technically spaghetti is an odd man out, it's just for aesthetic purposes that it made it's way to the "name". Rather than naming it sardinghon, sarsot or sotanas, sarsotti is a classy name for a simple dish (lol).
Anyway, nothing fancy in cooking it. Just saute sardines with garlic and onions then add water and your favorite spices. Then mix sotanghon noodles and serve with more sauce toppings and garnish. Now you get your very own sarsotti!