Photo Slideshows
Pasta con Sarde
WHO: FOOD52er blanka.n is a food writer living in New York.
WHAT: A classic Italian seafood pasta with both anchoves and sardines, round out with fennel and a healthy hit of olive oil.
HOW: Not counting the pot you use to boil the pasta, this is a one-dish meal -- weeknight dinner, anyone?
WHY WE LOVE IT: The flavors and textures of this pasta are perfectly balanced, from the bite of the currants to the crunch of the pine nuts.
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Some strong flavors in attendance! White wine, pine nuts, garlic, fennel, currants, fennel seeds, sardines, onion, red pepper flakes, bucatini, and anchovies.
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We love a good mise en place. Isn't Amanda's new counter beautiful?
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Amanda uses a knife to pry out the backbones of the tinned sardines.
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The fennel and onions sweat as Amanda salts them -- not too much though, the anchovies will take care of the rest!
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Garlic on deck! It always helps to have ingredients at the ready.
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A white wine bath for the sauteeing fennel. On the other burner, the pasta water comes to a boil.
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Add in those sardines -- blanka.n instructs us us to break them up with a wooden spoon.
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A sprinkling of currants adds bite and color to the sauce.
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Pine nuts, that Italian classic, add crunch!
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We love the depth of triple-fennel recipes -- seeds, root, and fronds.
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When the bucatini hits the boiling water, you know you're in the home stretch.
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Amanda runs back to the cutting board to chop fennel fronds for the garnish.
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Reserving a cup of starchy water before draining the pasta is good insurance against a dry sauce.
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The al dente pasta is dumped into the sauce, still hot.
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Toss the pasta until the strands glisten with sauce -- there's plenty to go around.
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Serve in tangles, and eat by the plate.
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And a quick outtake -- the pan looks so lonely! Anyone else want a helping?
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Comments (1)
about 1 year ago sygyzy
My favorite part about this slideshow is learning Amanda uses Rustichella d'Abruzzo Pasta. *love*