Pasta with Sardines (Pasta con le Sarde): a Sicilian recipe

Pasta with Sardines, which in Italian is “pasta con le sarde”, is a classic Mediterranean dish. The recipe brings together quintessential Sicilian flavors with distinct Arabic ingredients. In one bite, you will taste the saltiness of the sardines, the sweetness of the raisins, the spiciness of the golden saffron’s, the crunchiness of pine nuts and breadcrumbs, and the herbaceous flavor of the wild fennel. All these ingredients are combined and then tossed with a long shaped pasta such as bucatini. 

 

Why you will love this dish

 

– It will be ready in less than 40 minutes.

– A super easy pantry staple dish, that you can make all year around.

– It is an explosion of flavors and textures. 

– Sardines are packed with Omega 3 and proteins so that you will have a perfectly balanced meal. 

 

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Sardine Pasta recipe ingredients

 

To make a delicious Sardine Pasta, you will need:

Sardines: Fresh is best, but if you cannot find them, then go for high-quality canned sardines. I must confess that I always use tinned sardines and I think the result is equally tasty. Either fresh or tinned, sardines are healthy as they are rich in omega-3 fatty acids that promote heart health. They are low in mercury and they are also a great source of proteins. If you are pairing them with pasta, you will then have a complete meal.

Fennel: The traditional pasta with sardines calls for wild fennel, which is hard to find unless you live in Sicily, where it grows abundantly. So, I sub it with a fennel bulb and some dill; both give a similar flavor to the dish.

Raisins: They add a sweet bite to the dish, balancing the salty taste of the fish. They are widely used in many Middle Eastern recipes, and Sicily has a lot of Arabic influence in its cuisine.

Saffron: A delicious oriental spice, it gives a nice golden color and a distinctive taste.

Pine Nuts: They add the nutty taste and some crunchiness. Pine nuts are also the main ingredient to make Pesto alla Genovese.

Breadcrumbs: Add a unique rustic touch, and with this recipe, Parmesan does not fit, so breadcrumbs it is!

Pasta: Chose a long shaped pasta. I recommend is making this recipe with bucatini, a long-shaped spaghetti with a hole in the middle. If you cannot find it, spaghetti or linguine will be a great choice too. 

 

How to make Pasta con le Sarde

 

Start to bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 3 tablespoons of EVOO to a shallow pan. When the oil shimmers, add the fennel and the chopped onion and cook until tender.

When the water starts boiling, remove a cup and add the saffron, mixing it to dissolve the threads. Add the raisins and let them soak for 5 minutes.

Add now salt to the boiling water and then add the pasta. Cook the pasta accordingly to the package instructions.

While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce. Add the saffron, raisins and the sardines to the pan, cook for 5 minutes and then add half of the toasted pine nuts.

The pasta should now be ready. Switch off the stove, reserve a few tablespoons of the water in a cup, and quickly take the pot to your sink. Add a bit of cold running water to stop the cooking; this will ensure that your pasta is “al dente” (firm to the tooth).

Add the pasta to the pan where you have the sauce and add 2 tablespoons of the pasta cooking water, which will help to coat your pasta. Toss until all is combined. 

Plate your Pasta with Sardines, adding on top some pine nuts, breadcrumbs and chopped dill.

 

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Recipe variations

 

Great for pescatarians, this is also a great example of a balanced Mediterranean diet. I believe it takes very little time to cook a balanced meal and this recipe has grains, fish, nuts and olive oil, which are the pillars of the Mediterranean lifestyle. Eating better doesn’t mean eating less!

I would not recommend many variations as this recipe has a great combination of flavors that makes it quite unique. In case some of you are not used to the taste of saffron, you can omit it and add some lemon juice and capers, which will bring freshness to the dish.

Are you looking for more Sicilian recipes? Check out the Traditional Eggplant Parmigiana, the Arancini, and the Sicilian Style Tuna. 

 

Which wine to pair with this Pasta alle Sarde

This time my wine suggestion is bolder since the dish has a quite complex combination of flavors; a white wine will have too much minerality that will clash with the saltiness of the dish.

The dish is already salty so that you will need a wine with fruity notes, and Sicilian Nerello pairs well with the fish, thanks also to its balanced tannin.

 

 

Please let me know how you like Pasta with Sardines in the comments! I would really love to hear from you, and hope this dish will satisfy your taste buds!

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