Caramelized Fennel, Celery, and Sardine Pasta

Name: Caramelized Fennel, Celery, and Sardine Pasta
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling; 1 large bulb fennel, trimmed, cored, and thinly sliced, plus 1/4 cup chopped fennel fronds; 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced on the bias, plus 1/4 cup celery leaves; 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced; Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper; 10 ounces short tubular whole-wheat pasta, such as penne rigate or elicoidali; Grated zest of 1 lemon; 1 can (4.2 ounces) sardines packed in olive oil, drained

Rating: 5 stars

3 Ratings
2 Reviews

This version of pasta con le sarde, a heart-healthy Sicilian classic, uses tinned sardines rather than fresh, cutting down on prep time. Sardine bones, softened during canning, are barely noticeable -- and full of calcium.

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John Kernick

Recipe Summary

prep:

20 mins

total:

25 mins

Servings:

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 large bulb fennel, trimmed, cored, and thinly sliced, plus 1/4 cup chopped fennel fronds
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced on the bias, plus 1/4 cup celery leaves
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
10 ounces short tubular whole-wheat pasta, such as penne rigate or elicoidali
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1 can (4.2 ounces) sardines packed in olive oil, drained

Directions

Step 1

Heat oil in a large straight-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add fennel, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until tender and deep golden, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat.

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Step 2

Meanwhile, bring a pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water; drain.
Step 3

Add pasta and pasta water to skillet with vegetables. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring to coat pasta, until warmed through, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in fennel fronds, celery leaves, and lemon zest. Break up sardines into large pieces and gently fold into pasta. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with oil.

Cook's Notes

If whole-wheat pasta is a tough sell in your house, try a multigrain brand.

Reviews (2)

3 Ratings

5 star values: 3
4 star values: 0
3 star values: 0
2 star values: 0
1 star values: 0

Anonymous

07/15/2020

This was delicious, easy and different than all the other pastas I normally make. I recommend adding the garlic in after sautéing the Fennel and celery by themselves for about 5 minutes so the garlic doesn't burn. Also, I squeezed the rest of the zested lemon into the pasta for added flavor.

Anonymous

04/10/2019

We love sardines, and this was a perfect way to enjoy them in something other than salad. This is a satisfying, healthy, and simple weeknight recipe. Great way to get omega 3s. I used garlic infused olive oil instead of sautéing garlic with the fennel and celery, but it was still very tasty.

Anonymous

06/09/2014

Very quick, simple and tasty. My kids love it. I add 2 cans of sardines so we taste it more.

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Caramelized Fennel, Celery, and Sardine Pasta

Ingredients

Directions

Cook's Notes

Reviews (2)

All Reviews for Caramelized Fennel, Celery, and Sardine Pasta

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Caramelized Fennel, Celery, and Sardine Pasta

Ingredients

Directions

Cook's Notes

Reviews (2)

All Reviews for Caramelized Fennel, Celery, and Sardine Pasta