My Sardine Pasta

Danielle Alvarez

Makes

enought to serve 2

Active time

25 mins

Inactive time

10 mins

Ingredients

½ cup (55g) dried sourdough breadcrumbs (or ½ cup/ 30g panko breadcrumbs)
60ml extra virgin olive oil, plus an extra 80ml
½ cup (80g) diced brown onion (about ¼ onion)
2 garlic cloves, minced
pinch of chilli flakes (optional)
4 anchovy fillets, roughly chopped
2½ tablespoons chopped fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried oregano)
scant ¼ cup (40g) sultanas, chopped
2½ tablespoons salted capers, rinsed
20ml tomato paste (concentrated purée)
1 x 400g tin whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, crushed
250g dried spaghetti
1 x 120g tin sardines in olive oil
zest and juice of ½ lemon
freshly cracked black pepper
fine sea salt
TO FINISH
Parmigiano Reggiano, for grating

NOTE:

A ladle or two of pasta water is the magic ingredient in almost all pasta dishes. That starchy water has wizard-like properties: loosening the sauce, bringing a creaminess without cream and, perhaps most importantly, providing a bridge for the pasta to meet the sauce. Pulling out a mug of the pasta water before you drain your pasta is one of those culinary habits that will change your cooking forever. However, your new habit necessitates revisiting an old habit – the way you salt your pasta water. “As salty as the sea” is out: too much salt and you’ll send the seasoning for the whole dish over the edge; not enough, and the pasta will be insipid. So, to clarify, when I say “pot of salted water” for cooking pasta, I’m imagining around 2 tablespoons of salt per 500g of pasta in a pot with just enough water to cover your pasta by 2–3cm. Less water equals more starchiness, which is the goal with pasta water, so don’t be too generous when you’re filling your pot.

Sardines, like anchovies, can get a bad rap. The problem is that fresh sardines are only good when they are spectacularly fresh – still stiff in rigor. This is very hard to find. On the other hand, you can find excellent tinned sardines, quite different to the fresh ones. This is the best example of how small tins and salted things can create something utterly delicious.

View the recipe collection here

Instructions

1.To toast your breadcrumbs, heat a small sauté pan over a medium heat.
2.Add the 60ml olive oil along with the breadcrumbs, and cook, tossing often, until golden brown all over.
3.Scoop the golden breadcrumbs out of the pan and onto a plate to cool and become crunchy. Set aside.
4.Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for your pasta (see note).
5.Place another large pot over a medium heat and add the extra 80ml olive oil, together with the onion, garlic and a pinch of salt.
6.Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion starts to brown, about 10 minutes.
7.Add the chilli flakes (if using), anchovy fillets, oregano, sultanas, capers and tomato paste and fry for a further minute.
8.Follow with the crushed tomatoes and stir to combine.
9.Cook the sauce on a low heat while you boil your pasta.
10.Drop the spaghetti into the boiling water and cook until al dente.
11.While the pasta is cooking, split the sardine fillets and remove the backbone.
12.Add the fillets to the sauce.
13.When the pasta is cooked, use tongs to lift it out of the water and drop it directly into the pot with the sauce.
14.Add 2–3 ladlefuls of starchy pasta water.
15.Stir vigorously to combine, using a wooden spoon or tongs, and cook over a medium heat for another minute or two to coat the pasta in the sauce.
16.Finish with the lemon zest and juice, a drizzle of olive oil and a good crack of pepper.
17.Divide the pasta between two bowls and top with grated parmesan and the toasted breadcrumbs.

Images and text from
Recipes for a Lifetime of
Beautiful Cooking by Danielle
Alvarez with Libby Travers,
photography by Alan Benson.
Murdoch Books RRP $55.

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