Pasta con le Sarde
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Advertisement
Ingredients
- ½cup currants
- ¼teaspoon red-pepper flakes
- ½cup dry white wine
- 1tablespoon butter
- ½cup unseasoned dry bread crumbs
- ½cup plus 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1medium onion, finely chopped
- 2small cloves garlic, minced
- 1pound fennel, bulb finely chopped, fronds chopped and reserved
- 1tablespoon fennel seeds, crushed
- Salt
- 2pounds fresh sardines (trimmed and deboned, yielding 1¼ pounds) or 1 pound canned
- 1pound bucatini pasta
- ½cup pine nuts, toasted
- ¼cup capers, rinsed
- Freshly ground black pepper
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
1464 calories; 76 grams fat; 13 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 42 grams monounsaturated fat; 16 grams polyunsaturated fat; 125 grams carbohydrates; 11 grams dietary fiber; 22 grams sugars; 68 grams protein; 1448 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered by
Preparation
- Step 1
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Combine the currants, red-pepper flakes and wine in a bowl; set aside. In a small sauté pan, melt the butter. Add the bread crumbs and cook, stirring, until golden brown. Transfer to a bowl, stir in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and set aside.
- Step 2
In a heavy skillet, heat ½ cup olive oil over medium-low heat. When hot, add the onion, garlic, fennel bulb and fennel seeds. Season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the fennel is tender, about 25 minutes.
- Step 3
Add the wine mixture and the sardines, breaking them into pieces with a fork. Bring to a boil and gently simmer for 10 minutes.
- Step 4
Add enough salt to the boiling water so that it tastes salty. Boil the bucatini until al dente, 6 to 8 minutes; strain. Return the pasta to the pasta pot and set over low heat. Fold in the fennel-sardine mixture. Toss in the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil. Add ¾ of the fennel fronds, the pine nuts, the capers and a quarter of the bread crumbs. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Step 5
Divide pasta among plates and sprinkle the remaining bread crumbs and fennel fronds over each. Serve immediately.
Private Notes
Comments
I make a very similar recipe - adapted from a delicious lunch I had in Palermo several years ago. I add a pinch of saffron early on and, instead of capers, I add golden raisins, which complement the fennel and sardines beautifully (and reflect the Arab influence present in many Sicilian dishes). This is an all time favorite!
Plenty for 2 medium eaters with 6 oz bucatini,100 gram tin wild caught sardines in olive oil (from Italy).Usual Sicilian pasta and fish recipe with thoughtful addition of fennel and seeds. Really good.
A family favorite, but no need for such an insane amount of olive oil, a quarter cup is fine to cook the veg in and a tbsp or two at the end.
I agree with adding the saffron and golden raisins.
Add canned (in olive oil) sardines at the very end.
Could use half the breadcrumbs this called for and treat it just as a light garnish. It calls for a lot and makes the pasta a little glaggy Canned sardines for the win though.