Pasta with Sardines

Instructions

1. 1

   To make pasta with sardines, first clean the wild fennel, removing the toughest parts of the stems. In a pot, bring 3 liters of water to a boil, then add the fennel and boil for 3-4 minutes if it is tender, or 10-12 minutes if it is late-season fennel. Drain the fennel and set the cooking water aside.

2. 2

   Transfer the fennel to a colander and squeeze to remove excess water. Add the liquid obtained to the cooking water set aside. Finally, chop the fennel.

3. 3

   Prepare the saffron water: toast the saffron threads in a small saucepan for a couple of minutes, then deglaze with water and bring to a boil. When it starts to boil, turn off the heat and let it rest for 15-20 minutes.

4. 4

   Set aside and move on to the crispy breadcrumbs: pour the tomato sauce and oil into a mixer, along with the finely minced garlic and oregano.

5. 5

   Also add the chili pepper and parsley, then blend to obtain a homogeneous mixture.

6. 6

   Transfer the mixture to a bowl and add the breadcrumbs, then mix well to combine. Drain everything through a wide-mesh sieve or colander to remove moisture, taking care to put the residues retained by the sieve back into the bowl.

7. 7

   Pour the breadcrumbs obtained into a pan, season with salt, and toast until they become dry and crispy. Now you can dedicate yourself to cleaning the sardines: prepare a couple of bowls with ice water, which you will need to remove the blood from the fish during the cleaning process. Cut off the head, the dorsal fins, and the ventral fins, placing the sardines in one of the bowls with ice water as you go.

8. 8

   Open the sardines like a book, remove the bone, and rinse them in the second bowl with ice water. Drain the cleaned sardines and place them on a tray lined with paper towels, then pat them dry well. Finally, coarsely chop them, dividing each into 3 pieces.

9. 9

   You are now ready to cook the sauce: wash and finely chop the scallions, then sauté them in a pan with the oil, minced garlic, and anchovies, setting aside the oil from the jar.

10. 10

    When the anchovies start to break down, add a little of their oil and the chili pepper. After a few minutes, pour in the saffron water and the pine nuts.

11. 11

    Also add the raisins and the fennel. Mix well, then add the sardines.

12. 12

    Season with salt and, if necessary, add more water: the sardines should be covered. Meanwhile, bring the fennel cooking water to a boil; if it is not enough, you can add more water. Salt the boiling water and cook the spaghettoni for the indicated time, then drain them into the pan with the sauce.

13. 13

    Add a little more oil and toss the pasta for no more than a minute, mixing gently. Complete the dish with the crispy breadcrumbs and serve your pasta with sardines immediately!