Deliciously Unexpected: Sardine and Fennel Pasta

Sara Clevering with a pasta that is as delicious as it is unexpected – Sardine and Fennel Penne.
By Sara Clevering

I know this is going to be a hard sell, but bear with me.  Might I suggest, the next time you are in the store, not to breeze by the canned sardines? Now, before you wrinkle your nose (and if you are wondering, yes I did develop a taste for these when I was pregnant), let me point out the following.

– As a fatty fish, sardines are high in omega-3s, calcium (don’t buy them de-boned, as unlike many fish you can eat the bones)  and are one of the only food sources of vitamin D.

– As a small fish, low on the food chain, sardines are generally low in mercury.

– As a small fish that reproduces rapidly, sardines are sustainable.

It’s the trifecta!  But wait, folks, there’s more:  they are, in stark contrast to most of your pescatarian options, cheap. Now, I’m perfectly content to pop open a can and eat on a slice of toasted bread when I’m too busy/tired/lazy to cook.  But I’ll up the ante and provide you with a more elegant way to enjoy these.

Sardines and fennel are a classic combination in Sicilian cooking:  a delicious, if possibly unexpected, pairing.  The two flavors work well together:  the clean, almost licorice flavor of the fennel brightens the fatty fish, and throwing in a few fennel seeds just enhances this combination.   While you might ideally use fresh sardines, I’ve modified the recipe to use the more readily available, canned variety.  This results in a recipe that is very pantry-friendly (especially if using fennel bulbs).

You can use one or two cans of sardines as you prefer (I probably don’t need to tell you my preference).  I order my sardines in bulk from Vital Choice , whose cans are packed full of meaty fillets, but you can of course grab them at the grocery store.