Recipe(tried): Pasta con le Sarde

My understanding is that among Italian families this is a traditional dish served on Xmas Eve as part of the seven fishes meal. All I know is that it is good! :-)

Pasta con le Sarde
Bucatini with Sardines

3 bunches wild fennel
1 onion, diced
1 TBS tomato paste
1 TBS olive oil
4 salted anchovies, boned
1 TBS tomato paste
1 lb sardines, cleaned and boned
1 TBS raisins
1 TBS pine nuts
saffron threads
1 lb bucatini
salt
pepper

Clean the wild fennel and boil in salted water. Drain carefully, keeping the cooking water, then chop the fennel coarsely and brown in a small amount of oil. , Cleaned and coarsely chop the onions; brown them in plenty of oil in another pan. Add the anchovies and the tomato paste, and then stir briskly until the mixture is homogeneous.

Add the sardines, the browned fennel, raisins, pine nuts, and a few threads of saffron. Cook lightly for 5 mins, adding some of the fennel's cooking water if necessary. Add salt to taste.

Bring the rest of the fennel's water to a boil and use it to cook the bucatini. When al dente, drain and mix in the sauce. Serve hot. Serves 6

Pam