Sicilian Pasta with Sardines | Everyday Dorie

I call this a Sicilian pasta with sardines instead of pasta with sardines, fennel and pine nuts as in Everyday Dorie. I’m in the winter wonderland nestled in the Green Mountains of Vermont; I can’t find fennel. Furthermore, I substitute walnuts for pine nuts. The name change is necessary to reflect the nature of this popular Sicilian pasta and not calling it by the ingredients which are obviously missing. The use of fresh sardines, wild fennel, pine nuts, and sultanas is typical for the Sicilian sardine pasta. The amazing flavor combination and textures is a perfect example of Sicily’s diverse culinary heritage, partly from the mideast.

As the pasta is cooking in boiling water, prepare the sauce. First sweat the aromatics: onion, fennel (I substitute it with leek) and garlic until softened. Stir in the tomatoes, raisins, capers and sardines. I can’t see leaving out the sardine oil (olive oil in the canned sardine) and not adding it to the sauce; there is so much flavor in it. Next, toss the cooked pasta in the sauce. Grate in the lemon zest and a squeeze of the lemon juice. Top with more sardines and gently fold everything together. Lastly, stir in the nuts  and top with fresh herbs like fennel fronds and basil (I used minced fresh rosemary).

What strikes me is the exquisite combination of sweet, salty, savory as well as a hint of the sea. It wows me—in small bites and big bites. In many ways, this Sicilian pasta with sardines reminds me of the similarly bold flavor profile of puttanesca, a classic Neopolitan pasta dish. No wonder, the two have a lot in common. Puttanesca has anchovies, tomatoes, olives, capers and garlic in the sauce. Both are classic pasta dishes which I don’t think will ever get old. Certainly, I won’t tired of making them, especially given how quickly it is for the dish to come together.