Description
A traditional Sicilian pasta dish featuring wild fennel, fresh sardines, anchovies, saffron, and toasted pine nuts, creating a fragrant, savory, and deeply Mediterranean flavor.
Ingredients
1 handful fresh wild fennel, roughly chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
5 anchovy fillets in oil
1 lb fresh sardines, cleaned and filleted
2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
1 tsp saffron threads
1 lb bucatini pasta
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add chopped fennel and boil for 20 minutes until tender. Remove fennel and set aside, reserving the cooking water.
- Chop the cooled fennel into 1-inch pieces.
- Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes until soft.
- Stir in the anchovy fillets until melted into the oil.
- Add the sardines and two ladles of fennel water. Cook gently, stirring occasionally, until the sardines begin to break down.
- Mix in pine nuts, saffron, salt, and pepper. Cook for another 5 minutes.
- Add the chopped fennel and two more ladles of fennel water, forming a glossy sauce.
- Bring the reserved fennel water back to a boil, adding more water and salt as needed.
- Cook the bucatini until al dente, about 8–9 minutes.
- Drain the pasta and toss with the sardine-fennel sauce. Let rest for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
Add golden raisins for a traditional sweet contrast.
Top with toasted breadcrumbs for crunch.
Use spaghetti or linguine for a lighter variation.
Add lemon juice before serving for brightness.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 560
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 620mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 72g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 32g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
