Pasta Con Le Sarde (Sicilian Sardine Pasta)

By Maverick19

Ingredients

• 13 oz spaghetti or bucatini
• 1/2 lb (225g) sardines deboned, fresh or canned
• 2 anchovies in oil
• 1/2 white onion, medium
• 4 Tbsp evoo
• 1 Tbsp pine nuts
• 2 Tbsp raisins
• 4 Tbsp breadcrumbs or panko
• 2 Tbsp wild fennel, minced and 1/2 tsp fennel fronds
• 2 pinches saffron threads
• 1 dash black pepper
• salt to taste
• 4/5 Tbsp cooking salt for pasta

Details

Level of difficulty Average
Cost Average budget

Preparation

Step 1

First soak the raisins in a bowl full of warm water. After that, soak the saffron in another little cup along with 2 Tbsp of water.
Wild Fennel (use greenest and most tender parts of fennel tops)

Step 2

Bring to a boil, a pot big enough to cook the pasta full of water. Now, mince the tops of fennel roughly along with the leaves. Finally, poach them 1 minute, raise and pour into a bowl full of iced water to preserve the color and stop the cooking. Save the water flavored with fennel.

Step 3

Cleaning Sardines: Although this sardine pasta is also delicious prepared with canned sardines, fresh fish is traditionally. If you opt for fresh sardines, rinse them thoroughly and eliminate the scales by rubbing the body under running water. Then open the stomach with your thumb and discard the offal. Finally, pull firmly and gently the head and separate the meat from the backbone. rinse the fish fillets again, dry them and place in the fridge until ready to cook.

Step 4

Sardine sauce: Place little pan over medium heat and saute the pine nuts until golden, then pour them into a cup. Now, peel and mince the onion finely. After that, pour the onion in a pan and saute over medium heat along with 3 Tbsp of olive oil until smooth and translucent. Rinse the raisin and add into the pan along with the pine nuts and the anchovies, and the minced fennel. Cook 5 minutes more and then add the sardine fillets. Saute 3-4 minutes stirring until the fish starts to fall apart. Do not overcook the fish. Finally, add salt as needed and another splash of olive oil

Step 5

Finishing. Toast the breadcrumbs or panko in a little pan until golden, then pour into a bowl Cook the pasta in the same water used to poach the fennel, along with 4/5 Tbsp of coarse salt. Raise the pasta 'al dente' and toss it with the sardines sauce. Complete with toasted breadcrumbs and black pepper; serve immediately