Pasta con le sarde is one of Sicily’s best-known dishes. It is sweet and savory at once: rich sardines, anise-scented wild fennel, plump raisins, pine nuts and, on top, crisp toasted breadcrumbs. There is no tomato or cheese. It takes several small steps, but none of them is difficult, and much of it can be prepared ahead.
Serves: 4 | Time: about 50 minutes
Ingredients
- 400 g bucatini or spaghetti
- 400 to 450 g cleaned fresh sardine fillets
- 200 to 250 g wild fennel, washed
- 1 medium onion, finely sliced
- 40 g raisins or sultanas
- 35 to 40 g pine nuts
- A small pinch of saffron threads
- 4 to 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus a little for the breadcrumbs
- 40 to 50 g fine dry breadcrumbs
- 2 or 3 salted anchovy fillets (optional)
- Salt and black pepper
Method
- Soak the raisins in warm water for 10 minutes, then drain and squeeze them.
- Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan over medium-low heat until pale gold, then tip them onto a plate. They burn quickly.
- Add a little oil and the breadcrumbs to the same pan. Stir over medium heat until crisp and golden, then set aside.
- Boil the fennel in a large pot of salted water until tender. Lift it out, keep the water for the pasta, and chop the fennel finely.
- Soak the saffron in a few spoonfuls of the hot fennel water.
- Heat the olive oil in a wide pan over medium-low heat and cook the onion slowly until soft and translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes. If using anchovies, stir them in until they dissolve.
- Add the fennel, raisins, pine nuts and saffron liquid. Simmer gently for 5 minutes.
- Add the sardines and cook gently until opaque, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir only a little, so some pieces stay whole. Add pepper, and taste before adding salt.
- Return the fennel water to a boil and cook the pasta until just short of al dente. Save 250 ml of the water, then drain.
- Toss the pasta in the sardine pan with a splash of the water until glossy and evenly coated. It should be moist, not soupy.
- Divide among warm bowls and scatter the breadcrumbs over each portion just before serving.
Tips for a better result
- Cook the pasta in the fennel water. It carries the fennel flavor right through the dish.
- Add breadcrumbs last. They soften fast in the sauce, and the crunch is part of the point.
- Ask your fishmonger to fillet the sardines. It saves a fiddly job. Fresh sardines should be firm and smell clean.
- Salt late. Sardines and anchovies vary in saltiness.
Substitutions
- Wild fennel: Use the green fronds from bulb fennel, plus a little finely chopped bulb if you need more. The flavor will be milder.
- Fresh sardines: Thaw frozen fillets in the fridge and pat them dry. Canned sardines also work, but they are already cooked, so fold them in at the end.
- Pine nuts: Lightly toasted flaked almonds keep the nutty note.
- Saffron: Leave it out if you need to. Turmeric gives color but not the same flavor.
- Bucatini: Use spaghetti or another sturdy long pasta. Our pasta substitution chart has more options.
Variations across Sicily
Recipes differ from town to town and family to family. Some include saffron and anchovies and some do not, and some versions are baked. If you know a family version that differs from this one, that does not make either of them wrong.
Serving and storage
A crisp green salad or grilled zucchini is enough on the side, and a dry white wine suits it if you drink wine. Refrigerate leftovers promptly in a covered container and eat them within a day or two. Reheat gently with a splash of water and toast fresh breadcrumbs. The dish does not freeze well once mixed, but the sardine and fennel sauce can be made a day ahead and kept in the fridge, with the pasta cooked fresh.
Frequently asked questions
What does it taste like?
Savory and slightly sweet, with a gentle anise aroma from the fennel and a nutty crunch from the topping. It tastes rich rather than sharply fishy when the sardines are fresh.
Why are there raisins in a fish pasta?
Their sweetness balances the rich, salty fish. Sweet and savory pairings like this are common in Sicilian cooking.
Should I add Parmesan?
It is not part of this dish. The toasted breadcrumbs take the place of cheese.
More from PastaLoverz
See why the hollow shape is such a good match in our bucatini guide. For other dishes from around the country, try the regional pasta guide and Italian pasta sauces by region.
Further reading
- Italia.it: Sicily’s typical products and dishes
- Visit Sicily: Pasta c’anciova, a related dish made with anchovies
Syed Yasar Arafat is the founder of PastaLoverz.com and a food research enthusiast with a focused interest in pasta varieties, traditional Italian cuisine, and balanced eating. Through PastaLoverz.com, he publishes well-researched articles that explain pasta types, cooking methods, and nutritional considerations in clear, practical terms to help readers make informed food choices.