Pasta Con le Sarde

Serving Size

Serves 4

Ingredients

1-Lb. Bucatini Pasta
2- cans of Sardines packed in oil, chopped
2 or 3- Anchovie fillets, chopped
1-medium fennel bulb, diced, set a few fennel fronds aside
1-cup of home made or Italian bread crumbs seasoned, toasted
1-medium onion, chopped
2-cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup of Pine nuts
2 strands of saffron
1/2 cup of white wine
1/2 cup golden raisins, chopped
1tsp of red pepper flakes
Salt & Black papper to taste.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Preparation

In a large saute pan on low heat with some olive oil, add the diced onion and fennel. Cook on medium heat for a few minutes or until cooked through. Toast seasoned bread crumbs in another pan and set aside. Clean the soft bones out of the sardines, chop and set aside. Toast the pine nuts and set aside. Cook bucatini pasta al dente and save the pasta water. Put a pinch of saffron in a bowl and add a small ladle of pasta water until it is dissolved. Add the saffron mixture to the pan with the onions and fennel. Mix in well. Add the white wine and turn the heat on low and cook for a few more minutes. Add the chopped raisins, and pine nuts, mix, then add the sardines and anchovies. Cook for a few more minutes. Using tongs, take some of the pasta out of the pot that it was cooked in and add it to the salute pan. Keep adding the pasta with some of the pasta water to keep it moist until it is all in the saute pan. Turn off the heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. In a few small pasta bowls add some of the pasta mixture and toss with some of the bread crumbs and garnish with a few fennel fronds. Serve & Sing!