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Pasta and Sardines Pasta Con Le Sarde
Ingredients
1 small jar of capers
1 whole fennel
4 cans of sardines, from Norway in water
1 head of garlic
3oz. of extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
1 lb. of spaghetti
4 leaves of fresh basil
1 can of whole or crushed tomato
1 small can of sliced black olives or a small jar of pitted black organic olives.
Preparation
Always prepare your pasta water first. Add ¼ tablespoon of sea salt, high heat and bring to a boil.
Cut the ends of the fennel. Wash thoroughly. Peel the storks and slice into ¼” lengths.
Drain liquid from the sardines and place in a bowl. By the way, fresh sardines would be superb here if you can get them. Remove the head and tail fin, slice in half and half again with the bone in.
Peel the garlic cloves. I use the whole head of garlic. For most folks, 3-4 cloves, crushed with the flat side of a chef’s knife will do. Add a ½ tsp. of the sea salt to the olive. Sauté until lightly golden. Never never overcook garlic. The taste will overpower the food. Remove the garlic and set aside. Eat it while working over the stove.
Toss in the sliced fennel. Sauté until golden and wilted. Toss in the canned sardines. If using fresh sardines, they must be sautéed for at least three minutes. Then add the olives and capers, stir for one minute. Add the tomatoes and lower the heat, simmer for five minutes. Add the basil.
Drain the pasta. The pasta must be Al Dente. Put the pasta, back in the pot it was boiled in, dry. Add some sauce so the pasta does not stick together. Stir. Fill the pasta bowls and add the sardine sauce.
I must tell you. Many unsuspecting guests of mine have tasted this dish and fell in love with it. Many of whom I might add may never have tried it based solely on its ingredients.
This dish has its origins from Sicily, Italy. It is traditionally served on Saint Joseph’s Day, March 19th. My family and I eat it several times a month. It is also traditional to toast fresh breadcrumbs with a little olive oil and sprinkle sparsely on the pasta.
Buon Appetite!
