Spaghetti anchovies and wild fennel, yes you’re right, this is the recipe for pasta with sardines but without sardines and with anchovies! I had gathered some wild fennel, I too have my little secret spot in the countryside, where I collect this fantastic and healthy aromatic herb. As a good Sicilian, my first thought was like a flash, a light bulb turning on, or rather a natural pairing. You gather and meanwhile you think about what you will do with it, but there’s little to think about. Even if I don’t have sardines, the pasta is made anyway. Try it yourself and judge for yourself. The recipe is here on my blog.giallozafferano.it/vaipinacucina.

Difficulty: Easy
Cost: Affordable
Preparation time: 15 Minutes
Portions: 2
Cooking methods: Stovetop
Cuisine: Italian
Seasonality: All seasons

677.62 Kcal

calories per serving

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Energy 677.62 (Kcal)
Carbohydrates 63.86 (g) of which sugars 11.79 (g)
Proteins 36.87 (g)
Fat 32.08 (g) of which saturated 5.74 (g)of which unsaturated 8.60 (g)
Fibers 4.24 (g)
Sodium 2,209.83 (mg)

Indicative values for a portion of 290 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA^* and FoodData Central^** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.

^* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ^** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov

Ingredients for Spaghetti with Anchovies and Wild Fennel

11 oz anchovies (fresh)
Half onion
1 packet saffron
4 fillets salted anchovies
3/4 oz pine nuts
0.07 oz raisins
2.1 oz breadcrumbs (fresh bread)
1 bunch wild fennel
1.4 oz extra virgin olive oil
0.3 oz salt
6.3 oz spaghetti

Tools for Preparing Spaghetti

Wok
Pot
Bowl
Colander
Wooden Spoon

Preparation of Spaghetti with Anchovies and Wild Fennel

Thinly slice the onion and together with the anchovies and two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, let it cook for a few minutes.
Repeatedly mash the anchovies with the wooden spoon until they become a paste.
Dissolve the saffron packet in a cup of hot water.
Add the deboned fresh anchovies to the onion and salted anchovy sauté.
Cook for a few minutes and drizzle with the saffron water, also add the pine nuts and the previously soaked and squeezed raisins.
Clean and wash the wild fennel, set up the pot for the pasta water and as soon as it boils, throw in the fennel. Cook for 10 minutes and without discarding the water, which will be used to cook the pasta, drain and chop the fennel.
Off the heat, add the boiled and chopped wild fennel to the rest of the sauce.
Meanwhile, toast the breadcrumbs in a pan with some oil.
Cook the spaghetti in the fennel cooking water and toss them with the anchovy sauce and the toasted breadcrumbs.
Spaghetti with Anchovies and Wild Fennel are ready!