Pasta con le Sarde
Tinned sardines melted into a garlicky tomato sauce over spaghetti — a Sicilian-style omega-3 dinner from the pantry.
Ingredients
- 2 tin Sardines (tinned)
- 300 g Spaghetti
- 400 g Canned tomatoes
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 2 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Red pepper flakes (optional)
- 3 tbsp Parsley (optional)
- ½ Lemon (optional)
Method
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil.
- While the water heats, slice the garlic.
- Boil the spaghetti one minute shy of al dente.
- Reserve a mugful of pasta water, then drain.
- Soften the garlic and chili flakes in the oil over medium heat for 1 minute.
- Add the tomatoes and simmer until thickened, about 8 minutes, then flake in the drained sardines.
- Toss the spaghetti through the sauce, loosening with pasta water until it coats.
- Squeeze the lemon over, scatter the parsley, and serve.
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About Pasta con le Sarde
Sardine and tomato spaghetti draws on Sicily's long tradition of pairing oily fish with pasta, where tinned sardines are melted into a garlicky tomato sauce until they all but dissolve. The sardines don't read as fishy so much as deeply savory, adding a rich, briny undercurrent to a sauce brightened by garlic, red pepper flakes, and a squeeze of lemon at the end. Tossing the spaghetti through with a splash of starchy pasta water pulls everything into a glossy coating that clings to each strand. It's rustic, punchy, and satisfying without being heavy.
The real appeal is that this is a genuine pantry dinner — canned fish, canned tomatoes, dried pasta, and a few aromatics — that comes together in about twenty-five minutes and delivers a serious hit of omega-3s and protein. That makes it ideal for the nights when the fridge is bare but you still want something that tastes considered. Parsley and lemon at the finish keep it fresh against the richness of the fish. Serve it as is, with maybe a green salad, and skip the cheese — southern Italian tradition frowns on it with seafood pasta anyway.
Pasta con le Sarde: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Pasta con le Sarde?
A serving has about 641 calories — 30.4g protein, 86.8g carbs, 18.3g fat, 6.4g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is it high in protein?
Each serving has about 30.4g of protein, roughly 19% of its calories.
Is Pasta con le Sarde gluten-free?
As written, no — it contains Spaghetti. You'd need a certified gluten-free swap for that ingredient to make it gluten-free.
Do I need every ingredient to make Pasta con le Sarde?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out red pepper flakes, parsley, lemon — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Pasta con le Sarde make?
This recipe makes 3 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.