chef john's pasta con le sarde

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 3/4 cup dry bread crumbs
• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 pinch saffron
• 1/4 cup white
• 1/2 pound bucatini pasta
• 1 cup diced yellow onion
• 1 cup diced fennel bulb
• salt to taste
• 1/4 cup golden raisins
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 anchovy fillet
• 2 (4 ounce) cans sardines packed in oil, drained and crumbled
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes
• 3 tablespoons chopped fennel fronds, or more to taste

Recipe

Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 35 mins Ready Time: 1 hr


• cook and stir bread crumbs with 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium heat until bread crumbs are crispy and toasted, 2 to 5 minutes. transfer breadcrumbs to a bowl to cool.
• grind saffron threads with a mortar and pestle; pour white into mortar and stir to combine.
• bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. cook bucatini in boiling water, stirring occasionally until almost cooked through but firm to the bite, 10 to 11 minutes. drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
• heat remaining olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. cook and stir onion and fennel with a pinch of salt in hot oil until onion is soft, about 10 minutes.
• stir raisins, garlic, and anchovy fillet into onion mixture; cook and stir until heated through, about 1 minute.
• pour saffron- into skillet; cook until is almost evaporated, about 2 minutes. pour 1 ladleful reserved pasta water into skillet and bring to a simmer. stir pine nuts and red pepper flakes into sauce; simmer until flavors combine and sauce is reduced, about 5 minutes.
• stir bucatini and sardines into mixture; increase heat to high, and cook, stirring frequently and adding more reserved pasta water as necessary, until sauce and pasta are heated through, about 5 minutes. remove from heat. ladle into bowls and top with fennel fronds and toasted bread crumbs.