Sicilian Style Pasta With Sardines Recipes

SARDINE PASTA (PASTA CON LE SARDE) SICILIAN RECIPE AND HISTORY

Steps:

• First, soak the raisin into a bowl full of warm water.
• After that, soak the saffron in another little cup along with 2 tbsp of water.
• The tradition wants wild fennel, very easy to find in Sicily.
• But, if you are not so lucky to have wild fennel to hand, use the greenest and most tender parts of fennel tops.
• Bring to boil a pot big enough to cook the pasta full of water.
• Now, mince the tops of fennel roughly along with the leaves.
• Finally, poach them 1 minute, raise and pour into a bowl full of iced water to preserve the color and stop the cooking. Save the water flavored with fennel.
• Although this sardines pasta is also delicious prepared with canned sardines, fresh fish is traditionally the best option.
• If you opt for fresh sardines, rinse them thoroughly and eliminate the scales rubbing the body under running water.
• Then, open the stomach with your thumb and discard the offal.
• Finally, pull firmly and gently the head and separate the meat from the backbone.
• Rinse the fish fillets again, dry them, and place in the fridge until ready to cook.
• Place a little pan over medium heat and sauté the pine nuts until golden, then pour them into a cup.
• Now, peel and mince the onion finely.
• After that, pour the onion in a pan and sauté over medium heat along with 3 tbsp of olive oil until smooth and translucent.
• Rinse the raisin and add into the pan along with the pine nuts and the anchovies, and the minced fennel.
• Cook 5 minutes more, then add the sardine fillets. Sauté 3-4 minutes stirring until the fish starts to fall apart.
• Do not overcook the fish. Finally, add salt as needed and another splash of olive oil.
• Toast the breadcrumbs or Panko in a little pan until golden, then pour into a bowl.
• Cook the pasta in the same water used to poach the fennel, along with 4.5 tbsp of coarse salt.
• Raise the pasta "al dente" and toss it with the sardines sauce and the saffron.
• Complete with toasted breadcrumbs and black pepper.
• Serve immediately.

SICILIAN-STYLE SARDINE PASTA WITH BREAD CRUMBS

Steps:

• To a large skillet preheated over medium heat, add 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 4 turns of the pan, and chopped garlic. When the garlic speaks by sizzling in oil add bread crumbs. Stir bread crumbs until deeply golden in color. Add parsley and a liberal amount of salt and pepper, about 1 teaspoon of each. Transfer bread crumbs to a dish and reserve.
• Return skillet to heat and add 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 3 turns of the pan. Add sardines and red pepper flakes to the pan and saute over medium heat 2 or 3 minutes. Add hot, cooked pasta to the skillet and toss with sardines. Add bread crumbs to the pot and toss thoroughly to combine and evenly distribute the mixture. Taste, to adjust seasonings, and serve.

SICILIAN PASTA WITH SARDINES

Steps:

• Put a pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta.
• Open the sardines, drain the olive oil into a frying pan, and set the sardines aside.
• Heat the oil over medium heat, add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, 1 minute.
• Add the breadcrumbs (see below), season lightly with salt and pepper and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the crumbs are lightly toasted and crisp, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer the crumbs to a plate and set aside.
• Return the pan to the stove and add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until soft and lightly caramelized, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Add the sardines, break them apart gently and cook just long enough to heat through, 2 minutes.
• Stir in the lemon zest, parsley, crushed red pepper, and capers. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.
• Cook the pasta according to package directions, reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid, then drain and return to the pan.
• Add the sardine mixture along with half of the reserved cooking liquid to the pasta. Toss to combine, adjust the seasoning and add a little more liquid if needed.
• Add the garlic-toasted breadcrumbs, toss again and serve immediately.
• Note: This recipe can easily be doubled.

PASTA CON SARDE (PASTA WITH SARDINES)

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti, and cook until al dente, or 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and rinse under cold water. Toss with 1/4 cup olive oil, cover and keep warm.
• Place another 1/4 cup olive oil in a skillet, and heat over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, and cook just until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the sardines, and cook 1 minute more. Stir in the bread crumbs and 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese. If necessary to give the mixture a crumbly texture, stir in the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil. Stir in the parsley and pepper, and remove from the heat. If desired, serve with additional Parmesan cheese.

IANA'S PASTA CON LE SARDE

Steps:

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Drain pasta; serve topped with the sauce, seasoned bread crumbs, and Parmesan cheese.

PASTA WITH SARDINE SAUCE (PASTA CON SARDINE SICILIANO)

Steps:

• Cut fish into 1" pieces.
• Saute garlic in olive oil over medium heat until golden.
• Add sardines and continue to saute and stir until almost a paste (approximately 7 minutes).
• Add tomato paste and 3 to 5 tomato paste cans of water to the fish and bring to boil.
• Add herbs (leaves only)and raisins.
• Reduce heat, add salt and pepper; simmer until thick.
• Place cold water into large pot and start to the boil.
• Boil pasta until al dente, drain and toss with sauce.
• Serve with grated cheese on the side.

PASTA CON LE SARDE (SICILIAN PASTA WITH SARDINES) RECIPE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Mince half the fennel fronds and reserve the other half whole.
• Add pine nuts and sardines and cook, stirring, until sardines are just barely cooked through, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta until al dente, then drain, reserving at least 1 cup pasta cooking water.
• Transfer pasta to skillet along with 1/4 cup pasta cooking water. Return skillet to medium-high heat and cook, stirring and tossing, until pasta is well coated in sauce and any excess liquid has cooked off. Drizzle on some fresh olive oil (don't be shy) along with the minced fennel fronds, and toss well. Season with salt. Add a very small handful of bread crumbs and toss once more.
• If at any point the pasta becomes too dry, add additional pasta cooking water in 1/4-cup increments, and toss to loosen and moisten (you can also drizzle on more olive oil as desired). The noodles should be slick and glossy with a sheen of sauce, but not sitting in a watery puddle.

SICILIAN-STYLE SARDINE PASTA WITH BREADCRUMBS

Steps:

• In a large skillet preheated over medium heat, add 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, and chopped garlic.
• When the garlic begins to sizzle in oil add bread crumbs.
• Stir bread crumbs until deeply golden in color.
• Add parsley and a liberal amount of salt and pepper, about 1 teaspoon of each.
• Transfer bread crumbs to a dish and reserve.
• Return skillet to heat and 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil.
• Add sardine and red pepper flakes to pan and saute over medium heat 2-3 minutes.
• Add hot, cooked pasta to the skillet and toss with sardines.
• Add bread crumbs to the pot and toss thoroughly to combine and evenly distribute the mixture.
• Taste, to adjust seasonings, and serve.

SICILIAN-STYLE PASTA WITH SARDINES

Steps:

• Finely chop fennel bulb. Combine saffron, raisins, and wine in a bowl.
• Cook onion, fennel bulb, and seeds in oil with salt to taste in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until fennel is tender, about 15 minutes.
• Add wine mixture and half of sardines, breaking sardines up with a fork, and simmer 1 minute.
• While sauce is cooking, cook pasta in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water until al dente, then drain in a colander.
• Toss hot pasta in a bowl with fennel sauce, remaining sardines, fennel fronds, pine nuts, and salt and pepper to taste. Add bread crumbs and toss again.