Pasta con le Sarde

All Recipes
SERVES 2

Ingredients

  • 250g xSpaghetti
  • 1 x Small onion finely diced
  • 25g x Raisins roughly chopped
  • 1 x 120g Tinned Sardines in Olive oil
  • 90g x Strazzanti Pesto di Finocchietto Selvatico
  • 25g x Mollica Atturata (Seasoned Breadcrumbs)
  • 2 x Tbsp Olive oil to cook with
  • 2 x Tbsp Strazzanti Extra virgin olive oil
  • OR create using our Pasta con le Sarde Recipe Parcel.

Wine Pairings

  • Giato Bianco, Centopassi
  • Grillo Lumà, Cellaro

This is a classic Palermitano pasta dish from the capital of Sicily, Palermo, made with sardines and Sicilian wild fennel, which grows in abundance across the island although rare in the UK. This dish has a rich Arabic influence with raisins running through the pasta giving it a sweet and savoury taste. This is a great dish that can be dressed up for a special occasion and equally simple for a weeknight dinner. Serve with a crisp glass of white wine such as a Grecanico or a Carricante, both native varieties to Sicily.

Method

Heat a pan of boiling water up to cook the pasta and season well with salt.

In a large frying pan add in the olive oil and finely diced onion and gently fry on a low heat until soft and lightly golden brown. At this point start to cook your pasta accordingly to the cooking guidelines on the pack.

Once the onions are cooked add in the wild fennel pesto and fry for 30 seconds. Add in the chopped raisins and mix through, then add in the tin of sardines and its oil and gently cook together for 1 minute adding in 4 – 6 tbsp’s of pasta water to loosen up the sauce.

Drain the pasta and add it directly into the sauce mixing it well together on a low heat for 30 seconds and slowly drizzle in the Strazzanti extra virgin olive oil.

For the Molica Atturata needed in this recipe, take a small clove of garlic and finely chop it. You will also need 50g of dried breadcrumbs. In lots of olive oil from cold gently fry the finely chopped garlic with half a teaspoon of chilli flakes. As soon as the garlic becomes lightly golden (happens quickly), add in the breadcrumbs and toast for around 5 minutes on a low heat mixing well together until the breadcrumbs are golden brown.

Plate up the pasta and serve with the Mollica Atturata scattered on top and an extra drizzle of Strazzanti olive oil.

Buon Appetito!