Ingredients
200g spaghetti
generous olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 small fennel bulb, sliced or diced
1 tin sardines (in olive oil)
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 tsp chilli flakes (or a fresh chilli)
lots of parsley
lemon, zested and squeezed
Parmesan cheese to serve
OPTIONAL EXTRAS
capers
breadcrumbs
crushed tomato instead of fennel
Summary
Excellent for the sardine shy, here’s a quick pasta for a midweek win! You’ll be feasting with just a few things from the pantry and the time it takes to boil the spaghetti. Fennel is a great addition for this, and flavour boosters like capers, lemon zest and fried breadcrumbs are fabulous here too, but even at it’s most simplest this is a delicious thing. Make a red juicy version with crushed tomato instead of fennel, and don’t hold back on the fresh herbs.
Spaghetti and Sardines with Fennel
Dice the onion and cook on a medium heat with plenty of olive oil. Keep the pan from getting too hot, and the onions from browning – it is a soft and sweet pile of onion we are making. If you’re adding fennel, cook this slowly with the onions.
Meanwhile get the pasta water boiling. Salt, add the spaghetti and cook until al dente (or follow the instructions on the packet!).
Once the onion is soft, add the chopped garlic and chilli to cook for another minute, stirring a few times. This is one of the only steps in this recipe, so watch the heat and be sure not to burn the garlic. If you’re adding other goodies like capers, breadcrumbs or lemon zest, get those in now and give it a mix.
Add the tinned sardines. Hopefully you have ones in olive oil, which will also add more flavour! Break the sardines up a little with a gentle stir and let them heat through for a few minutes.
Reserving a little pasta liquid, drain the spaghetti and tip it into the pan. Give it a gentle mix to coat it all, adding a splash of the pasta water if it wants a bit of loosening up. Top with parsley, cracked pepper and a good squeeze of lemon. Parmesan over the top and enjoy at once!
