This sardines pasta is one of my go-to Italian recipes when I miss a taste of home. Cheap, easy and quick to make, you just won't believe how good this mid-week dinner tastes.
It's been a hot minute since I last posted a savoury recipe, and it was definitely about time. As we get closer and closer to summer (though you wouldn't necessarily know it with the weather we have been having in the UK), I am drawn to lighter and more vibrant meals. This pasta is literally it. It's incredibly cheap to make, as sardines are one of the least expensive tinned fish out there. But it is super nutricious too, don't be fooled. And it's also something I never really see on a menu in Italian restaurants abroad, yet sardines are commonly used throughout the country, but especially in the south of Italy.
Traditionally, sardines pasta also has breadcrumbs, pine nuts and raisins (yes, raisins!) scattered on it. But, alas, I am not a particular fan of this combination, which is wildly popular in regions such as Sicily. Thankfully, that's not the only way we use sardines, and especially at home, we do this pasta sauce using whatever tinned or frozen fish we want to use. So it could be canned tuna, frozen cod, or indeed sardines, as it is the case today.
I think sometimes sardines get a bad rep, at least in the UK. A lot of people here are not particularly keen on fish anyway, which is surprising for an island, and they worry that the taste of sardines will be too pungent. Actually, it turns out, sardines are quite delicate, and to me, they are unsung heroes. So I beg you, try them once. I promise you won't look back, and sardines will become a staple in your house, like they are in mine. Plus, you'd truly be eating like an Italian, which is a wonderful thing.
A Few Things to Bear in Mind When Making This Sardines Pasta
Pasta: You can use any pasta you like, however, in Italy, we tend to use spaghetti with any pasta sauce which includes fish. Still, I will not judge you, should you do differently. For shorter pasta options, I recommend rigatoni or paccheri. But you do you.
Fresh ingredients are your weapon: Although the beauty of this pasta is that it is made of cheap, cupboard ingredients (chopped tomatoes, tinned sardines and black olives), a couple fresh ingredients really make a difference. I love squeezing some lemon as a finishing touch to add some acidity to the dish, and fresh parsley really elevates this pasta to restaurant quality.
Not all tinned sardines are created equal: There are quite a few options for tinned sardines out there. Some are in brine, sunflower oil or even garlic and tomato sauce. For this recipe, however, your best bet are tinned sardines in olive oil. They taste far better. If those are not available where you are, sardines in sunflower oil will be second best. Also, although generally tinned sardines have had all bones removed, some might have gone unnoticed and still be in the fish. So check them as you mash them, as the bones will probably stick out and you'll be able to remove them.
Don't go crazy with the chopped tomatoes: You'll see that the recipe only calls for half a can of chopped tomatoes. That is correct. The reason is because we don't want to drown the fish in tomato. This way, you'll actually be able to taste the sardines, which - believe me - are just delicious.
Ingredients:
Serves 3
200 gr tinned chopped tomatoes (roughly, half a can)
240 gr / 2 tins of sardines in olive oil
10/12 pitted black olives or Kalamata olives
240 gr spaghetti or any dried pasta of choice
3 garlic cloves
The juice of half a lemon
Fresh parsley to garnish
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Mathod:
Finely chop your garlic cloves and add them to a hot pan with 3 tbps olive oil on a medium heat.
After a minute or so, add your chopped tomatoes.
Open the sardines tins, drain the fish from the oil as much as you can. Add the sardines to a bowl and mash them with a fork, check for any bones which may have been left in (rarely happens but always worth checking).
Add the mashed sardines to the pasta, along with your black olives. You can keep the olives whole, but I like chopping them up roughly. Lower the heat and simmer.
In the meantime, cook your pasta according to the packet's instructions. Once cooked to your liking, drain it and add it to the pan with the sauce,
Mix the pasta with the sauce thoroughly, then add the juice of half a lemon all over it.
Before or just after serving, top up with a few fresh parsley leaves.
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