Perciatelli with Fresh Sardines

This is Sicily on a plate. Sweet, savory, briny, and crunchy all at once.

Pasta con le sarde is a classic Sicilian dish that marries fresh sardines with currants, pine nuts, wild fennel, and toasted breadcrumbs in a way that makes perfect sense once you taste it.

The sardines get a quick sauté with red onions, anchovies for umami depth, and a hit of red pepper heat.

Those plump currants add little bursts of sweetness, while the pine nuts bring buttery richness.

Fennel fronds perfume the whole thing with their anise-like aroma, and the toasted breadcrumbs on top give you that signature Sicilian crunch instead of cheese.

Pro Tips

• Ask the fishmonger to clean the sardines. Filleting fresh sardines is doable but fiddly. Save yourself the time and let them do it.
• Soak the currants. They need to plump up in warm water for 15 minutes before cooking, or they’ll stay hard and chewy.
• Toast your own breadcrumbs. Toss fresh breadcrumbs in a dry skillet over medium heat until golden. Store-bought toasted crumbs work, but fresh tastes better.
• Use bucatini if you can’t find perciatelli. They’re basically the same thing: thick, hollow spaghetti that catches all that sauce.
• Don’t overcook the sardines. They cook in just 3 to 4 minutes. Any longer and they turn mushy and fall apart.