Pasta con le Sarde

Step 1

In a pan large enough to hold the pasta, warm up the olive oil over medium heat, then sauté the onion and fennel. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until they just start to soften, and add garlic, salt, and pepper.

Step 2

Cook oven medium heat until the onion and fennel are softened, then add wine and continue cooking. Add the anchovies and sardines, breaking them up with wooden spoon. Once they are headed through, add the currants, pine nuts, fennel seeds, and pepper flakes. Turn the heat down to low and continue cooking, giving it a stir every few minutes.

Step 3

Meanwhile, boil pasta until it is al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving some of the pasta water for later.

Step 4

Add the drained pasta to the sardine mixture. You can add a splash of the pasta cooking water to help loosen up the sauce if it's looking a little dry. You can also add more olive oil and serve with reserved chopped fronds.