Pasta with Sardines

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 6 anchovy fillets in oil
• 100 g white bread, grated or breadcrumbs
• 80 ml extra virgin olive oil, approx. 8 tbsp
• 1 onion(s), chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• 125 ml white wine
• 2 tbsp, sautéed tomato paste or (Stràttu), tomato concentrate from Sicily
• 4 sardines, filleted or 8 – 12 fresh sardines
• 30 g Sultanas, soak in Marsala the day before if necessary
• 30 g pine nuts
• 1 bulb(s) fennel with greens or 2 tsp fennel seeds
• Sea salt
• Black pepper, freshly ground
• 400 g pasta, spaghetti or bucatini

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 25 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 5 minutes

Pasta with sardines, anchovies, fennel, sultanas and pine nuts

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cut the fennel into quarters and simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Do not cook the fennel fronds; reserve them. The water should absorb the fennel flavor. If desired, add some fennel seeds to the boil. Remove the fennel; you can eat it cold as a vegetable, drizzled with olive oil. Drain the anchovy fillets in the oil. Toast the grated white bread or breadcrumbs in a pan without adding any fat over medium heat until browned but not burnt. Add a clove of garlic and the finely chopped fennel fronds and cook briefly. Cover and keep warm. Briefly toast the pine nuts. Finely chop the onion and a clove of garlic and sauté in a large pan with about 60 ml (6 tablespoons) of olive oil until lightly browned. Roughly chop the anchovies, add them, and stir until they break down. Pour in the wine and bring to a boil. Stir in the Stràttu or tomato paste and enough fennel water to give the mixture a sauce-like consistency. Add the sultanas and pine nuts. Add the sardine fillets and mix gently. Season with salt and pepper and simmer gently for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in the fennel water until al dente. Strain, reserving some of the cooking water. Add the pasta to the sardine sauce and mix gently, adding a little of the fennel water as needed. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and sprinkle with the toasted breadcrumbs. Serve immediately. A Regaleali Bianco from Tasca d’Almerita goes perfectly with this.