Pasta with Sardines
- ½ cup dry white wine
- ¼ cup dried currants, raisins, or golden raisins Use ½ cup for a sweeter pasta
- 1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
- pinch saffron (optional)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- ¾ cup breadcrumbs
- 1 pound bucatini or spaghetti
- 1 onion, diced
- ½ medium-sized fennel, bulb cored + diced, fronds roughly diced, stalks discarded. (You should have approximately ¾ cup of diced fennel bulb.) See Recipe Notes
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 2 cloves garlic, finely diced
- 2 anchovy fillets
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- 8 ounces Amanhecer sardines.
Prepare Wine Mixture:
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Heat wine in a small saucepan (or in the microwave) until it begins steaming (but not boiling). Remove from heat.
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Add currants, red pepper flakes, and saffron (if using) to the wine. Set aside.
Prepare Breadcrumbs:
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Add 1 TB olive oil to a large pan over medium-high heat until shimmering.
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Add fennel seeds and breadcrumbs, and stir until breadcrumbs are toasted and the spices are fragrant (about 2-3 minutes). Remove breadcrumbs from pan and set aside.
Prepare Pasta:
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Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once the water reaches a rolling boil, add the bucatini.
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Boil until al dente (about 6 minutes). Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, and remove pasta from the heat.
Prepare Pasta Sauce:
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Meanwhile, heat remaining olive oil over medium heat in the large pan.
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Add the diced onion, fennel bulb (not fronds), and salt. Cook about 8 minutes, until the onion and fennel have softened.
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Add garlic and anchovies, and stir until the anchovies dissolve (about 2-3 minutes).
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Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the reserved wine mixture to the pan, and simmer until most (but not all) of the wine has boiled off. (Stir often.)
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Add the pine nuts and sardines. Stir gently for about 2 minutes, or until the fish is heated through. Remove from heat.
