Sicilian Fennel and Sardine Pasta

Ingredients

• 1 bulb fennel preferably with the green fronds intact
• 1 can sardines in olive oil or a handful of fresh sardines
• 1 onion (optional)
• 2 bulbs of garlic
• 1 tbsp of pine nuts
• 1 tbsp sultanas
• a pinch of chilli flakes
• a packet of spaghetti or your choice of pasta
• salt and pepper to season
• fried breadcrumbs to use as a sprinkle (optional)

Instructions

1. Put a large pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta
2. Meanwhile, slice up the fennel thinly, chop the garlic, slice onion if you are using that.
3. Put pasta on to bowl (usually about 10 minutes for dry pasta)
4. Heat a large pan and add some oil (not extra virgin olive oil) and throw in the onions, soften for about 2 minutes.
5. If you are using fresh sardines, then lightly flour them and pan fry them in another pan for a couple of minutes each side.
6. Add in the garlic and chilli flakes to cook but not brown.
7. After a minute, add in the fennel and cook for another 2 minutes.
8. Flake in the sardines from the can and stir to warm up. Add hald of the fresh sardines to the sauce and save a couple to decorate the pasta when you serve it.
9. Add in the pine nuts and sultanas, stir.
10. At about ths time, the pasta should be ready, so turn off the heat and using a spaghetti scoop, move the pasta from the pot to the pan with the sauce. (I don't drain my pasta as I want to be able to use the pasta water to loosen the sauce if needed.)
11. Toss to coat pasta and serve immediately with some fried breadcrumbs for texture. (Often used in the south as a poor man's alternative to parmesan)
12. You might like to drizzle a bit more extra virigin olive oil on the pasta as you serve it.

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