Pasta con le Sarde

Pasta con le Sarde

Ingredients

  • 1/2 lb. Spaghetti
  • 4.25 oz. Sardines in Oil
  • 4 Anchovies
  • 2 Tbsp. Tomato Paste
  • 3 Garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 Sweet Onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 Fennel, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup Pine Nuts
  • 3 slices of dried Bread
  • 1/2 cup Chardonnay Wine
  • Few strands of Saffron
  • 1/2 tsp. Hot Pepper Flakes

Instructions

  1. Begin by chopping up the bread in a food processor. Pulse until the bread is in small crumbs.Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. This will be used to cook the pasta later.

    Heat up a skillet over medium to high heat and then add in the pine nuts. Toast the pine nuts until browned, making sure to mix continuously so they do not burn. Remove from the skillet and set aside.

  2. Using the same skillet, heat up a large drizzle of olive oil and then add in the crumbled bread. Toast the crumbled bread until browned, making sure to mix continuously so they do not burn. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
  3. Heat up a large drizzle of olive oil in a large saute pan. Add in the onion, fennel and garlic and saute over medium heat for about four minutes. Add a pinch of salt, black pepper and the hot pepper flakes and then continue to fry for another minute.
  4. Next, add in the anchovies and fry until the anchovies have broken up and melted down a bit, about two minutes. Lower the heat to medium/low and add in the tomato paste. Continue to fry for another two minutes. Lower the flame and then pour in the wine and add in the saffron. Let simmer over low heat.
  5. Meanwhile, after adding the wine into the saute pan, begin cooking your pasta in the boiling pot of salted water. Cook until al dente, about one to two minutes before the time listed on the package. Save 1/2 cup of the pasta water in case needed for the sauce.
  6. Three minutes before the pasta is ready to drain, add the sardines into the saute pan and cook over medium to low heat.
  7. Drain the pasta once it is ready and then add into the saute pan. Mix the pasta together with the sauce and then remove from the stove top.
  8. Scoop the pasta into a bowl and top with the sauce and sardines. Sprinkle the toasted pine nuts and crumbled bread on top and enjoy! Salute and cin cin!