Pasta Con Le Sarde

Total Time: 55 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 4 -6 tablespoons olive oil (more or less, if needed)
• 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs or 1 cup store-bought dry breadcrumbs or 1 cup italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (more if needed)
• 1 fennel bulbs or 2 medium onions, diced
• 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes in puree
• 2 (4 3/8 ounce) cans boneless skinless sardines, in water, drained (king oscar or brunswick)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2-3/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper (or to taste)
• sprinkling crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 lb penne, regata (or any other ridged pasta)

Recipe

• 1 in a large non-stick frying pan, heat 2-3 tablespoons oil over moderate heat. add the bread crumbs and cook, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes.
• 2 remove the crumbs from the pan and toss with parmesan.
• 3 wipe out pan. in the same pan heat the remaining 2-3 tablespoons olive oil over moderately high heat.
• 4 add the fennel or onions, stirring occasionally, until golden, 5-10 minutes. add the garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute longer.
• 5 stir in the tomatoes and bring to a simmer. reduce the heat and simmer until thick, about 10 minutes.
• 6 add the sardines, parsley, salt and pepper. break up the sardines with a fork.
• 7 remove from the heat.
• 8 in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente(according to pkg instructions). drain.
• 9 toss the pasta well with sauce and half of the breadcrumbs.
• 10 top with the remaining crumbs which have been seasoned with parmesan cheese.