Baked Sicilian pasta with fennel and sardines

I often hear chefs saying that fish and pasta do not really work together. Well in this case, they most certainly do, particularly with a little Sicilian influence from the fennel, pine kernels and raisins!

 
 

Ingredients

400 g fresh fennel herb (or the tops of Florence fennel)

3 shallots, finely chopped

good quality extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons raisins

2 tablespoons pine kernels

3 anchovy fillets, chopped

400 g fresh sardines, gutted and filleted

a little plain flour

2 medium eggs, beaten

a little cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons chopped toasted almonds

sea salt and black pepper

400 g thick spaghetti

Unusually begin this dish by bringing the pasta water to the boil. Add the fennel herb and allow to cook until soft which should be 3 to 5 minutes. Remove and place in cold water.

Peel and dice the shallots and fry gently in olive oil for a few minutes to gain a little colour but not too brown! Add the pine kernels and raisins and fry for a further 2 minutes before adding a good splash of white wine to moisten the sauce. Chop the part cooked fennel and add with the anchovy fillets. Allow to cook gently.

Meanwhile coat the sardines in flour and beaten egg before frying in a separate pan until a beautiful golden colour! Roughly chop half the crispy and golden sardines and add to the sauce, and continue cooking over a very low heat for 20 minutes.

Now pre-heat the oven to 180C.

Bring the fennel water back up to the boil and cook the spaghetti until al dente. Drain and then mix well with the sauce. Transfer the whole dish into a warm oven dish, lay the rest of the sardine fillets on top, sprinkle with a little salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper and the toasted almonds.

Bake in the oven for 10 minutes and bring to the table serving immediately!

This is a wonderful supper dish, healthy and delicious, particularly at this time of the year with sardines in tip top condition!

Enjoy!

Comments

[Su-Lin]

Bookmarked! This recipe sounds gorgeous - I must find me some fresh sardines! Do you think some quality tinned ones would work as well?

[Paul]

Unlikely su-Lin as they will probably fall apart in the cooking. Early summer is a great time to buy sardines in the UK - in my opinion they're at their best right now!

[The Grubworm]

I disagree with those chefs - i've had great seafood/fish and pasta before. The oilness of something like sardines, or the meatiness of tuna or similar both work really well with piquant or zesty sauce and the pasta. This looks great and worth the fiddle of filleting the
sardines.

[Mder]

This recipe sounds gorgeous, Thanks for sharing

[Paul]

Thanks Mder - you have a great blog on Chinese Cooking!

[Rebecca]

Hi Paul,

I hope you don’t mind me posting this, but I saw your Sicilain recipe and I really like its traditionally Italain Feel.

This is exactly the kind of thing we’re looking for in the To-Tuscany Foodie Blogger Competition:

http://www.to-tuscany.com/reach-tuscany/foodie-blogger-competition/

There’s a chance to win a week in a Tuscany Villa and £150 towards flights if you have the time to enter. Plus there’s also a runners up prize draw for everyone who enters!

All you have to do is make something as fabulous as your biscotti (but savoury) and follow the guidelines on the competition page.
Please feel free to email competition@to-tuscany.com for more information.

Good luck and happy cooking!
Rebecca

[Rebecca]

Hi Paul,

Sorry about the error on the above post. Obviously I was referring to you pasta, which has nothing to do with biscotti. Would be great if you would enter.

Rebecca

[lamb shanks recipes]

I never have tried fish with pasta really. I experimented beef and lamb but not fish because I am afraid it would not compliment the pasta texture.