Iana's Pasta con le Sarde

Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Servings: 8
Yield: 8 servings

Description

Sardines, fennel, and pine nuts mingle in the sauce of this traditional Sicilian pasta, topped with garlic and olive oil-infused bread crumbs.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 bulb fennel - thinly sliced, fronds lightly chopped, stems discarded
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 (4 1/2 ounce) cans sardines packed in oil
1/3 cup raisins
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 pinch red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (16 ounce) package spaghetti
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, or more to taste, minced
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste

Directions

1 Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add fennel bulb, fronds, and onion. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic; cook for 1 minute. Add sardines with oil; stir until crumbled. Stir in raisins, pine nuts, basil, fennel seeds, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes; cook until toasted. Pour in tomatoes. Let sauce simmer.
2 Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 12 minutes.
3 Meanwhile, heat oil in another pan over medium heat. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add bread crumbs and basil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
4 Drain pasta; serve topped with the sauce, seasoned bread crumbs, and Parmesan cheese.