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Fish, Italy

Sicilian pasta with sardines

Sicilian pasta with sardines is a bucatini dish tossed with fresh sardines, softened fennel, raisins and pine nuts, serving 4 people in 45 minutes, medium difficulty, about €3.40 per person. The key is toasted breadcrumbs standing in for cheese and sardines cooked just briefly enough to stay in chunks.

We're off to Sicily with pasta and sardines, fennel, raisins and pine nuts, topped with toasted breadcrumbs that crunch on every bite.

Sicilian pasta with sardines
Total time
45 min
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€3.40
Calories per person
660 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Spring, Summer

This dish mixes the sweetness of raisins, the crunch of pine nuts and the soft anise note of fennel cooked down in a pan. Fresh sardines keep a firm texture, never mushy, while anchovies melt into the oil to build depth without tasting fishy themselves. Toasted breadcrumbs added at the end bring the crunch that fish pasta would otherwise lack.

Make this when you have a bit of time on your hands, a Sunday evening or a break from the usual tomato sauce pasta. It takes a few minutes of chopping and cooking in stages, nothing complicated but not instant either. Serve it to adults and curious older kids, since fennel and anchovies can surprise younger palates.

The ingredients

4 people

Pantry

  • Bucatini or spaghettioften in the pantry 360 g
  • Anchovy filletsoften in the pantry 4
  • Raisinsoften in the pantry 40 g
  • Pine nutsoften in the pantry 40 g
  • Breadcrumbsoften in the pantry 4 tbsp
  • Saffron or turmericoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 4 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Fish counter

  • Fresh sardine fillets 600 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Fennel 2
  • Onion 1

Allergens Gluten, Fish, Tree nuts

The step by step recipe

  1. Toast the breadcrumbs in a dry pan, then set aside. 3 min

    Stir constantly, they go from golden to burnt in a few seconds.

  2. Slice the fennel and onion and soften them in the oil with the anchovies, letting the anchovies break down. 10 min

    Save the fennel fronds and add them finely chopped at the very end, they bring a fresh anise note to the dish.

  3. Add the raisins, pine nuts, saffron, sardines in pieces and a splash of water, then let it cook. 8 min

    The sardines barely need cooking, stir gently to keep them in large chunks.

  4. Cook the pasta in salted water, then drain while saving a bit of the cooking water. 10 min

    Cook the pasta in the water you blanched the fennel in, it picks up the flavor and seasons the spaghetti as it cooks.

  5. Toss the pasta with the sauce and serve with the golden breadcrumbs on top.

    Sprinkle the breadcrumbs at the table so they stay crisp.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick the freshest sardines you can find, ask your fishmonger to fillet them if you don't have time to do it yourself.
  • Don't oversalt the sauce, the anchovies and breadcrumbs already bring plenty of salt.
  • Always save a bit of pasta cooking water, it loosens the sauce if things look too dry when you toss everything together.

The variations

  • Swap fresh sardines for canned sardines in oil, drained, and the dish becomes quick enough for a weeknight in under 20 minutes.
  • For a vegetarian version, skip the sardines and anchovies and add sun dried tomatoes and capers to keep that southern Italian flavor.
  • For kids, cut back on the fennel and leave the anchovies out of the sauce, the dish turns milder while keeping the raisins and pine nuts.

What to serve it with

  • A glass of dry white wine
  • An orange and olive salad
  • Cold lemon water

Storage

Keep the pasta in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 2 days, fresh fish doesn't hold much longer than that. Reheat gently in a pan with a splash of water to loosen the sauce. Skip freezing this dish, the fennel and sardines lose too much texture.

Questions about this dish

Can I use canned sardines instead of fresh ones?

Yes, drained canned sardines in oil work well and make the recipe faster. Add them near the end of cooking so they don't break apart too much.

Do I really need the anchovies if I don't like their taste?

The anchovies melt completely into the oil and you won't taste them directly, they just add a salty depth. If you'd rather skip them, add a bit more salt instead.

Can I make the sauce ahead of time?

You can make the sardine sauce a few hours ahead and reheat it gently before tossing with freshly cooked pasta. Avoid making it a day ahead, fresh fish tastes best cooked and eaten soon after.

Why toast breadcrumbs instead of using cheese?

In Sicily, cheese isn't paired with fish dishes, so toasted breadcrumbs take on that role, adding crunch and a nutty flavor. It's a simple trick that really changes the final texture of the dish.

How long does it take to make a Sicilian pasta with sardines?

Count 45 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in a Sicilian pasta with sardines?

About 660 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a Sicilian pasta with sardines cost?

About €3.40 per serving, or €13.60 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, fish, tree nuts. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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