Recipe courtesy of
Amy Stevenson
for
Food Network Kitchen
Recipe courtesy of
Amy Stevenson
for
Food Network Kitchen
Watch how to make this recipe.
Pasta con le Sarde (Pasta with Sardines)
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- Level: Easy
- Total: 40 min
- Active: 40 min
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 8 servings
- Calories
- 495
- Total Fat
- 17 g
- Saturated Fat
- 2 g
- Carbohydrates
- 63 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 14 g
- Protein
- 19 g
- Cholesterol
- 47 mg
- Sodium
- 512 mg
This classic pasta recipe hails from Sicily and was originally made using fresh sardines and wild fennel, but you can make a delicious version using good-quality canned sardines and bulb fennel. Saffron, golden raisins and pine nuts create a savory and slightly sweet base for the sardines and bucatini pasta. Instead of grated cheese, this dish is finished with what is sometimes called the “poor man’s Parmesan” in Italy, pangrattato, an ingenious use of stale bread to make crispy, olive oil-toasted crumbs.
- Level: Easy
- Total: 40 min
- Active: 40 min
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 8 servings
- Calories
- 495
- Total Fat
- 17 g
- Saturated Fat
- 2 g
- Carbohydrates
- 63 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 14 g
- Protein
- 19 g
- Cholesterol
- 47 mg
- Sodium
- 512 mg
Ingredients
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Directions
Special equipment:
a mini food processor- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta. Tear the bread into pieces and pulse in a mini food processor until you have coarse crumbs; you should have about 1 heaping cup.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add the crumbs and cook, tossing frequently, until the crumbs are crisp and dark golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, season with salt and set aside to cool.
- Put the raisins and saffron in a spouted measuring cup and add 1/2 cup of the hot pasta cooking water and let steep.
- Heat a large braiser or skillet over medium heat and add the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil. Add the onion and sliced fennel bulb and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are wilted and slightly caramelized on the edges, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the pine nuts, anchovies and red pepper flakes and stir to incorporate. Add the white wine and adjust the heat so it’s simmering rapidly. Cook until the wine is reduced and slightly syrupy, about 2 minutes. Add the raisins, saffron and the soaking liquid plus an additional 1/2 cup pasta cooking water and bring to a simmer. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook the bucatini in the boiling water until al dente. Drain and reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.
- After the sauce has reduced, add the sardines and stir gently and simmer to heat them through but keep them in large chunks, about 2 minutes. Add the hot cooked bucatini and a drizzle of olive oil. Toss to coat the pasta in the simmering sauce, adding a little of the reserved pasta water if it seems dry (there should be a thin film of sauce coating the bottom of the skillet). Reserve a handful of fennel fronds for garnish and and add the rest to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper and toss again. Top with the breadcrumbs and remaining fennel fronds. Serve immediately.
