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Top view of a delicious Pasta con le Sarde, highlighting the traditional Sicilian dish.
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Pasta con Le Sarde

If you're ready to bring a taste of Sicily to your table, try this Pasta con Le Sarde recipe. Combining spaghetti, sardines, anchovies, pine nuts, sultanas, and wild fennel with a touch of saffron and tomato paste, this dish is bursting with vibrant Mediterranean flavors. Prepared in under 20 minutes using simple methods, it's a quick way to enjoy a comforting and exotic meal.

Equipment

  • Glass
  • Medium-sized pot
  • Strainer
  • knife
  • Chopping-board
  • Large-sized frying pan
  • wooden spoon
  • Garlic press (optional)
  • Mug
  • Tongs

Ingredients

  • 200 g sardines 7oz
  • 300 g spaghetti 10.5oz
  • Saffron
  • Wild fennel leaves
  • 30 g pine nuts 1oz
  • Extra virgin olive oil EVOO
  • 5 Tbsp bread crumbs
  • 1/2 red onion chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic crushed
  • 5 anchovies
  • 1 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 30 g Sultanas 1oz
  • Salt & Pepper

Instructions

  • Add saffron threads to a glass, then fill it with hot water and let it rest. For the best results, do this the day before.
  • Take a medium-sized pot and boil the wild fennel leaves. Then, after about 5 minutes, strain the leaves and transfer them to a small plate before chopping them into small pieces. Save the water to use later.
  • Add the pine nuts to a small pan and toast them on medium-low heat, until golden, then set them aside.
  • Heat a large pan before adding 2 tablespoons of EVOO. Then toast 5 tablespoons of breadcrumbs, stirring with a wooden spoon so they cook evenly. Once ready, set aside.
  • Place the frying pan back on medium-low heat and add 4-5 tablespoons of EVOO and the red onion.
  • Before the oil gets too hot, add a splash of water and the crushed garlic, then stir.
  • Add the anchovies, stirring well until they melt and disappear.
  • Incorporate the tomato paste, stirring to combine and add color to the dish. Add a splash of water if it dries out too quickly and slightly lower the heat if needed.
  • Add the chopped fennel leaves and sultanas, mixing well.
  • Pour in half of the saffron mixture, then gently add the sardines and cook for less than 2 minutes, stirring carefully.
  • Season with a small amount of salt (only if needed) and a generous crack of pepper.
  • When the liquid evaporates, add the rest of the saffron liquid.
  • Using the water from the fennel leaves, bring it to a boil (adding more water if needed and moving it to a large pot), add 1 tablespoon of rock salt and allow to dissolve. Cook your pasta according to the time noted on your pasta packet.
  • Scoop up a mug full of pasta water and set it aside once the pasta is almost cooked.
  • Strain the pasta and add it to the pan with the sardines.
  • Add the toasted pine nuts, toss the pasta, and add some of the reserved pasta water as needed to ensure the pasta is well coated with the luscious sauce.

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