Recipe: spaghetti with fennel and sardines

Spaghetti with sardines and fennel is a typical dish of Sicilian cuisine. We only know fennel as a tuber here, but there is also such a thing as wild fennel of leaf fennel. This fennel does not form a tuber, but consists of a bunch of light green, finely feathered foliage, which can sometimes grow up to 2 meters high.

If you are in Italy between July and October, you may encounter them in the wild. In addition to the leaves, you can recognize them by the yellow screen flowers and of course by the typical aniseed scent. Leaf fennel is not available in the Netherlands, so we use fennel in this recipe.

If you cut it into thin strips, the taste remains subtle. In addition to the fact that fennel is a delicious seasoning, it has traditionally been used as a medicinal herb.

Not surprising when you consider that fennel is packed with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. For example, fennel is good for promoting digestion, counteracts intestinal gas and helps against bloating.

So today a delicious recipe of pasta with fennel!

Ingredients for the spaghetti with fennel and sardines

Side dish for 4 people

• 3 tbsp raisins
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 large fennel bulb
• 3 tbsp pine nuts
• 4 slices of stale dry bread or 8 tbsp panko
• 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cans of sardines in olive oil
• 200ml passata
• salt and pepper
• 360 grams (wholemeal) spaghetti (50/50)
• chili flakes (optional)

Preparations

1. Put a pan with plenty of water on the fire in which the pasta will go later.
2. Put the raisins in a bowl of water to soak them for a while.
3. Crush the garlic with a knife and remove the skins.
4. Thinly slice the fennel (keep the leaves for garnish)
5. Toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan. Keep separate.
6. Crumble the bread finely and fry it in 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Keep separate.

Preparation of the spaghetti and sauce

1. Heat the rest of the olive oil in a large frying pan and briefly fry the garlic. 
2. Drain the sardines and fry them for about 2 minutes (by adding them at the beginning, they will be completely absorbed by the sauce. If you prefer to keep coarser pieces of the fish, add them at the very end). the sauce.).
3. Add the fennel and cook for a few minutes until slightly softened. Add some extra olive oil if necessary.
4. Drain the raisins and add them together with the passata and about 150 ml of pasta water to the sauce and let it simmer. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Salt the pasta water and cook the spaghetti until al dente.
6. Drain the spaghetti and keep some of the cooking liquid aside.
7. Spoon the spaghetti through the sauce and add a little cooking liquid if necessary. Remove the whole garlic cloves.
8. Divide among plates and sprinkle with pine nuts, breadcrumbs and a tuft of leaves.   

For spicy lovers: sprinkle with chili flakes.