Pasta with sardines

Ingredients

• 400 glarge pasta tubes
• 300 gsardines, to clean
• 100 gspring onion
• to tastepurple garlic
• 25 gSicilian black raisins
• 20 gpine nuts
• 6 filletsanchovies in extra-virgin olive oil
• to tastedried chilli
• to tasteextra-virgin olive oil
• to tastefine salt
• 150 gwild fennel
• 3 lwater
• 1/2 gsaffron threads
• 200 gwater
• 150 gdurum wheat breadcrumbs
• 30 gpassata
• 40 gextra-virgin olive oil
• to tastegarlic, for chopping
• to tastedried oregano
• to tasteparsley
• to tastedried chilli

Instructions

1. 1

   Boil the fennel

   Trim away the toughest parts of the wild fennel stems. Bring 3 litres of water to the boil, add the fennel and cook for 3–4 minutes if tender, or 10–12 minutes if mature. Drain, keeping the cooking water.

2. 2

   Chop the fennel

   Put the fennel in a colander and press out excess water. Add the liquid you press out to the reserved cooking water, then chop the fennel.

3. 3

   Infuse the saffron

   Toast the saffron threads in a small pan for a couple of minutes. Deglaze with 200 g water and bring to the boil. Turn off the heat as it starts boiling and leave to infuse for 15–20 minutes.

4. 4

   Blend the seasoning

   Put the passata, 40 g olive oil and finely chopped garlic in a food processor with the oregano.

5. 5

   Add the herbs

   Add the chilli and parsley, then blend until evenly combined.

6. 6

   Make the crumbs

   Tip the mixture into a bowl and stir in the breadcrumbs. Pass the mixture through a wide-mesh sieve or colander to separate and remove the moisture, returning any crumbs caught in the sieve to the bowl.

7. 7

   Toast and clean

   Toast the seasoned breadcrumbs in a frying pan with salt until dry and crisp. To clean the sardines, prepare two bowls of iced water. Remove each fish's head and dorsal and ventral fins, placing the fish in one bowl as you work.

8. 8

   Prepare sardines

   Butterfly the sardines and remove the backbone, then rinse them in the second bowl of iced water. Drain and dry them on kitchen paper, then roughly cut each fish into three pieces.

9. 9

   Soften the onion

   Clean and finely chop the spring onions. Soften them in a frying pan with olive oil, chopped garlic and the anchovies, keeping the anchovy oil aside.

10. 10

    Build the sauce

    Once the anchovies begin to break down, add a small drizzle of their oil and the chilli. After a few minutes, pour in the saffron water and add the pine nuts.

11. 11

    Add fish and fennel

    Stir in the raisins and chopped fennel, then add the sardines.

12. 12

    Cook the pasta

    Season with salt and add more water if needed so the sardines are covered. Bring the fennel cooking water to the boil, topping it up with more water if necessary. Salt it once boiling and cook the pasta for the time stated on the packet, then drain it into the pan with the sauce.

13. 13

    Finish and serve

    Add another drizzle of olive oil and toss the pasta gently for no more than a minute. Finish with the crisp breadcrumbs and serve straight away.

What is Sicilian pasta with sardines?

Pasta con le sarde is a classic Sicilian combination of sardines and wild fennel, enriched here with saffron, raisins and pine nuts. The recipe reflects the island's mix of Mediterranean ingredients and sweet-savoury flavours.

This version builds flavour in stages: fennel infuses the pasta water, saffron perfumes the sauce, and seasoned breadcrumbs provide a crisp finish.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 871 calories, 0g protein, 119g carbs, 32g fat.

The pasta supplies most of the carbohydrates, while olive oil, pine nuts and sardines contribute much of the fat. Sardines and anchovies provide the fish protein, with a little more from the pasta and pine nuts; serve with a green salad or vegetables to round out the plate.

Make the most of the fennel

Wild fennel: trim only the toughest stem sections, then boil the tender parts until they are easy to chop. Its cooking liquid carries a gentle aniseed flavour into the pasta.

Cooking water: keep both the fennel water and the liquid pressed from the cooked fennel. They are used to cook the pasta and help bring the sauce together.

Build the crunchy topping

Seasoning paste: blending passata, olive oil, garlic, oregano, chilli and parsley coats the breadcrumbs evenly. The sieve step helps break up damp clumps before toasting.

Toast: stir the crumbs in the pan until dry and crisp. Keep the heat controlled and keep them moving so the tomato and herbs do not catch.

Prepare the sardines carefully

Cleaning: butterfly each sardine and remove its backbone, then rinse it in the second bowl of iced water as directed. Drain and dry the fish well before cutting it into pieces.

Dry fish is easier to handle and less likely to water down the pan. Take care to remove the head and fins during the initial cleaning.

Balance the sauce

Sweet and savoury: raisins soften the salty anchovies and sardines, while pine nuts add a mellow nuttiness. Saffron brings fragrance without overwhelming the fennel.

Moisture: add enough water for the sardines to be covered, then adjust the sauce as the ingredients cook. The pasta is tossed with the sauce only briefly at the end.

Check the pasta and finish

Pasta: cook the large pasta tubes for the time given on their packet, using the reserved fennel water. Taste before draining, as the sauce and cooking liquid are seasoned separately.

Final toss: combine the pasta and sauce gently for no more than a minute. Add the crisp crumbs just before serving so they keep their texture.

What to serve alongside

A simple green salad or lightly dressed seasonal vegetables make a fresh contrast to the rich, savoury pasta. Serve the pasta immediately, while the fish is tender and the breadcrumb topping is crisp.

Recipe notes & tips

• Save all the fennel cooking water before moving on to the saffron and sauce.
• Press and dry the cooked fennel well so its water can be measured back into the cooking liquid.
• Toast the breadcrumbs until genuinely dry and crisp before taking them off the heat.
• Pat the cleaned sardines dry before cutting them into pieces.
• Keep the final toss gentle so the sardines do not break up too much.
• Sprinkle on the crumbs immediately before serving to preserve their crunch.

Variations

• More fennel: increase the chopped fennel for a stronger herbal note.
• Gentler heat: use only a little dried chilli for a milder sauce.
• Extra crunch: toast a little more seasoned breadcrumb topping to serve at the table.
• Different pasta: use another sturdy pasta shape that can be tossed easily with the sauce.
• Raisin swap: use another small, dark raisin if Sicilian black raisins are unavailable.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Discarding the fennel water: reserve it because it carries fennel flavour into the pasta.
• Damp breadcrumbs: sieve and toast them until dry so the topping turns crisp.
• Wet sardines: dry them thoroughly after rinsing to avoid thinning the sauce.
• Overcooking the sardines: add them to the sauce and handle them gently during the final toss.
• Adding crumbs too early: keep them separate until serving so they do not soften.
• Boiling the saffron for too long: turn off the heat once the water begins to boil and let it infuse.

How to store

For the best texture, serve this pasta straight away. Refrigerate leftovers promptly in a covered container and eat within 1–2 days; reheat gently in a pan with a splash of water, and store any leftover breadcrumbs separately if possible.

Frequently asked questions