I am still perplexed as to why Eat Italian Food Day is not Eat Italian Food Month, but whatevs. We are not beholden to whoever makes those decisions. So in open rebellion of the “food of the day” policy makers, here is another recipe that we will be making this weekend. It takes advantage of Italy’s coastal waters as well as its love of the tomato. I am planning to buy fresh pasta at the farmer’s market tomorrow and I’m excited about that, but when left to my own devices, I like whole wheat angel hair pasta for this dish. Pasta con sarde is high in antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids and relatively low in fat. Basically, this is a fast, healthy and very inexpensive dish that is perfect for weeknights when you really don’t feel like cooking.
What? You don’t like sardines? My suggestion would be to have an open mind and try sardines that are packaged boneless and skinless as they have a milder taste to them. Trader Joes carries these for about $2 a can. And indeed, this dish would be better with fresh sardines rather than canned, but until global warming really kicks in, I don’t know that sardines will be swimming off the shores of North Carolina. If you are (like my child) absolutely resolute in your dislike of sardines, you could use cooked salmon or tuna and you would need very little (6 oz), just increase the amount of olive oil you use or the sauce will be dry. This is a great dish for stretching out what you have. And who doesn’t want to do that these days?
- 1 package whole wheat angel hair pasta (16 oz.)
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 2 (4 oz) cans sardines packed in olive oil
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs (about 3-5 slices bread toasted and run through food processor)
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- freshly grated parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper
- 1 lemon, juiced + 1 Tbsp. grated zest
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook according to directions for al dente pasta.
- While pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook about 2 minutes until soft. Add the minced garlic and cook about 1 minute more.
- Stir in sardines with their olive oil and tomato sauce and stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- When sardines are heated through, add bread crumbs and stir. Remove from heat.
- Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water for the sauce.
- Add drained pasta to the sauce in the skillet and combine. If the sauce is too dry, add pasta water 1/2 cup at a time until you get the consistency you like. The sauce should cling to the pasta.
- Add lemon juice and lemon zest to the pasta, stir and serve with parmesan cheese.
Buon appetito!
yearofhealthierliving 