Pasta with Sardines (Spaghettoni)

Instructions

1. 1

   Clean the wild fennel by removing the toughest parts of the stems. In a pot, bring 3 liters of water to a boil and add the fennel. Boil for 3-4 minutes if it is tender or 10-12 minutes if late-season, then drain.

2. 2

   Transfer the fennel to a colander and squeeze out excess water. Add the fennel liquid to the cooking water set aside. Chop the fennel finely.

3. 3

   Toast saffron threads in a small saucepan for a couple of minutes, deglaze with 2 cups of water, bring to a boil, then let it rest for 15-20 minutes.

4. 4

   Prepare crispy breadcrumbs by blending tomato puree, oil, minced garlic, oregano, chili pepper (as needed), and parsley in a mixer. Mix well and drain through a sieve or colander.

5. 5

   Toast the breadcrumbs until dry and crispy on a pan with salt.

6. 6

   Clean sardines by removing head, dorsal fins, and ventral fins, then place them in ice water to remove blood. Rinse each cleaned sardine in another bowl of ice water, drain, pat dry, and chop into 3 pieces.

7. 7

   In a pan, sauté finely chopped scallions with oil, minced garlic, anchovies (and their oil), and chili pepper. Add saffron water and pine nuts; mix well.

8. 8

   Add raisins and fennel to the sauce. Mix in the sardines.

9. 9

   Season with salt, add more water if necessary, then cook spaghettoni al dente in boiling salted water. Drain pasta into pan with sauce and toss gently with a little extra oil.

10. 10

    Serve immediately topped with crispy breadcrumbs.