Recipe: Spaghetti with Sardines, Pine Nuts & Sultanas

A Sicilian-inspired spaghetti with sardines, pine nuts and sultanas that is full of texture, sweetness, salt and crunch. Fresh sardines are cooked with fennel, onion, anchovy, saffron, chilli, toasted pine nuts and sultanas, then tossed through spaghetti until glossy and full of flavour.

Finished with golden crunchy breadcrumbs, this seafood pasta is a beautiful example of how fresh bread can be used beyond toast, adding depth and texture to a simple weeknight dinner or long lunch recipe.

Spaghetti with Sardines, Pine Nuts & Sultanas

Serves 4

Ingredients

- Pinch of saffron threads

- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

- 1 small onion, finely diced

- 1 small fennel bulb, finely diced, fronds reserved and roughly chopped

- Sea salt

- Pinch of dried chilli flakes

- 3 anchovy fillets, chopped

- 50g pine nuts, toasted

- 100g sultanas

- 200g fresh sardines, filleted

- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

- 400 g dried spaghetti

Crunchy Breadcrumbs

- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

- 100g (1¼ cups) fresh breadcrumbs

Method

Heat olive oil in a large frypan over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs and cook until golden and crunchy, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, season with salt and set aside to cool.

Place saffron threads in a small bowl; cover with 100ml hot water. Set aside for 10 minutes.

Warm olive oil in a large frypan over low-medium heat. Fry onion and fennel bulb with a pinch of salt for about 15 minutes until soft. Add chilli and anchovy; stir through. Scatter in pine nuts and sultanas, pour in saffron and water, then add fresh sardines. Simmer for 1-2 minutes or until sardines are just cooked through. Add vinegar to sauce and break the sardines into large pieces with a wooden spoon.

Meanwhile, cook spaghetti in a saucepan of generously salted boiling water for a few minutes less than directed on the packet instructions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of cooking water. Increase heat under sauce to medium and add spaghetti, tossing it through the sauce with most of the cooking water.

Cook 1-2 minutes until pasta is well coated and al dente. If the sauce begins to look dry, add remaining cooking water. Stir through most of the fennel fronds; check seasoning. Top with crunchy breadcrumbs and remaining fennel fronds.

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