Pasta with Sardines

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 400 g bucatini or other thick pasta
• 8 sardines, fresh, gutted and filleted
• 1 lemon(s), organic, juice and grated peel
• 10 tbsp olive oil
• 1 fennel bulb(s), approx. 200 g
• 1 bunch of parsley
• 4 anchovy fillets
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 onion(s)
• 2 tbsp pine nuts
• salt and pepper

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour

Wash the sardines, season with salt, drizzle with lemon juice, and cover with cling film. Set aside to cool. For the sauce, bring about 3 liters of salted water to a boil. Pick the green parts off the fennel. Trim the fennel, place it in the water, and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the fennel, reserving the cooking water. Peel the garlic. Puree half of the parsley, the anchovy fillets, garlic, 4 tablespoons of the olive oil, grated lemon zest, and fennel seeds in a food processor. Peel the onion. Finely dice the fennel and onion. Sauté the onion in the remaining oil, add the fennel, and fry briefly. Add the anchovy paste, 3 tablespoons of the fennel cooking water, and the pine nuts. Mix well and simmer until the fennel is al dente. Cook the pasta in the remaining fennel cooking water until al dente. Fry the sardines on both sides in 6 tablespoons of oil, remove, and drain on kitchen paper. Mix the pasta with the sauce, remaining parsley, and fennel leaves. Season with salt and pepper, and serve with the sardines.