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Pasta with Sardines

Pasta with Sardines is a traditional Italian dish from Sicily. Flavorful and hearty, it's a pasta dish enriched with delicious ingredients.
Recipe Pasta with Sardines
  • Difficulty Medium
  • Preparation 40 minutes
  • Cooking 35 minutes
  • Servings for Serves 4

Pasta with Sardines (Pasta con le Sarde) is a traditional Italian dish from Sicily with numerous variations. Every family has its own recipe, and the ingredients may slightly vary depending on the city, as there isn’t a single “classic recipe” for Pasta with Sardines. However, this Sicilian pasta dish is absolutely worth trying at least once in your lifetime!

Flavorful and hearty, our version of Pasta with Sardines and Wild Fennel is made with truly delicious ingredients! To prepare it, you’ll need Fresh Sardines, Bucatini (thick spaghetti-like pasta with a hole running through the center), Wild Fennel (if unavailable, use regular fennel fronds mixed with a pinch of fennel seeds), Raisins, Crushed Almonds, Pine Nuts, Anchovies, and Saffron. To complete the dish, a tasty topping made with crispy Breadcrumbs!

If, besides Pasta with Fresh Sardines, you’d like to try other Sicilian Pasta Dishes, don’t miss the Pasta with Cauliflower, Pasta alla Norma, and Pasta with Pistachio and Pancetta Pesto! And now, let’s move on to the Pasta with Sardines recipe!

Ingredients for Serves 4

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Method

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  1. To prepare Pasta with Sardines (Pasta con le Sarde), a traditional Sicilian dish, start by soaking the raisins in some water for about ten minutes.
  2. Peel and finely chop the onion, then place it in a non-stick pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Add the anchovies and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
  3. Dissolve the saffron in 700 grams of water, stirring with a fork. Pour it into the pan and add the sardines, the drained and rinsed raisins, chopped almonds, and pine nuts.
  4. Stir to evenly distribute all ingredients and cook over low heat for another 10 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the wild fennel (finocchietto selvatico, a typical Sicilian ingredient) for a couple of minutes. Once ready, remove it with a slotted spoon, place it in a bowl to cool, and reserve the cooking water.
  6. Squeeze the fennel, compact it, finely chop it and add it to the pan with the other ingredients. Season with salt, add a pinch of pepper, stir to combine and continue cooking.
  7. Meanwhile, cook the bucatini pasta in the water where you boiled the fennel, so it will absorb more flavor.
  8. While the pasta cooks, prepare the breadcrumb topping (known as ‘muddica’ in Sicilian cuisine) by toasting breadcrumbs in a non-stick pan with extra virgin olive oil. Keep stirring during cooking to prevent the bread from burning. Once golden, turn off the heat.
  9. Drain the pasta al dente and add it to the pan with the other ingredients. Toss until fully cooked, stirring to combine all ingredients together.
  10. Plate the pasta, evenly distribute the toasted breadcrumbs on top, and serve the Pasta con le Sarde while hot! Finally, remember to download our App with exclusive content and fewer ads!

Variations and Alternatives

There are many variations of Pasta with Sardines! For example, you can substitute Bucatini with Perciatelli or Cannolicchi pasta. If you prefer, you can omit the Saffron and add some Tomato Paste instead.

Tips

If you’re not experienced in cleaning fish, we recommend buying pre-cleaned sardines or asking your trusted fishmonger to clean them for you.

Storage

Pasta with Sardines (Pasta con le Sarde) is best enjoyed immediately after preparation. However, if you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one day.

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