Chef John’s Pasta con le Sarde

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Description

I’m no survivalist, but like any responsible chef I like to have a few cans of sardines stocked away, just in case. If times ever get tough, I could survive for hours, maybe days on them; but since things are going pretty well, I decided to dust off a can, and show you my version of Sicily’s famous pasta con le sarde. You can substitute thick spaghetti for the bucatini, if desired.

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup dry bread crumbs
  • 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 pinch saffron
  • ¼ cup white wine
  • ½ pound bucatini pasta
  • 1 cup diced yellow onion
  • 1 cup diced fennel bulb
  • salt to taste
  • ¼ cup golden raisins
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 anchovy fillet
  • 2 (4 ounce) cans sardines packed in oil, drained and crumbled
  • ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
  • 1 pinch red pepper flakes
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fennel fronds, or more to taste

Instructions

  1. Cook and stir bread crumbs with 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium heat until bread crumbs are crispy and toasted
  2. 2 to 5 minutes. Transfer breadcrumbs to a bowl to cool.
  3. Grind saffron threads with a mortar and pestle; pour white wine into mortar and stir to combine.
  4. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook bucatini in boiling water
  5. stirring occasionally until almost cooked through but firm to the bite
  6. 10 to 11 minutes. Drain
  7. reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
  8. Heat remaining olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onion and fennel with a pinch of salt in hot oil until onion is soft
  9. about 10 minutes.
  10. Stir raisins
  11. garlic
  12. and anchovy fillet into onion mixture; cook and stir until heated through
  13. about 1 minute.
  14. Pour saffron-wine into skillet; cook until wine is almost evaporated
  15. about 2 minutes. Pour 1 ladleful reserved pasta water into skillet and bring to a simmer. Stir pine nuts and red pepper flakes into sauce; simmer until flavors combine and sauce is reduced
  16. about 5 minutes.
  17. Stir bucatini and sardines into wine mixture; increase heat to high
  18. and cook
  19. stirring frequently and adding more reserved pasta water as necessary
  20. until sauce and pasta are heated through
  21. about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Ladle into bowls and top with fennel fronds and toasted bread crumbs.

Prep Time: 25 mins

Cook Time: 35 mins

Total Time: 1 hr

Servings: 4

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