Stuffed sardines in tomato sauce. A simple and quick dish that will give you immense pleasure.
A dish that’s not just good but incredibly delicious, a treat for the palate, and with the sauce you can also dress a plate of spaghetti for an explosion of wonderful flavor in your taste buds.
We all know how often blue fish is underestimated and underused, and recipes using them are considered “poor cuisine.”
This is a real shame because, besides being rich in beneficial nutritional properties, anchovies have easily digestible meat and, not to be overlooked, affordable prices.
Sardines, also known as sardelle, sardines, or whitebait, are fish belonging to the Clupeidae family, very common in the Mediterranean Sea. They are found in open waters during the summer, even in shallow coastal waters, and are much loved in cooking.
The sardine is recognized by its streamlined body, with a row of pointed scales on the belly, and its head is also pointed.
The mouth is large and turned upwards, but the teeth are very small. In water, sardines have a greenish/blue iridescent color on the back, silver on the sides, and white on the belly.
They generally measure 6–8 inches but can grow up to 12 inches.
Despite being an extremely economical fish, its nutritional values are noteworthy. Sardines are rich in essential omega-3 fatty acids, which are very good for health.
In cooking, sardines are much loved and represent a cornerstone of Mediterranean cuisine.
They can be consumed breaded and fried, cooked with pasta as they do in Palermo, or cooked “a beccafico.”
In Liguria, sardines are generally prepared stuffed with vegetables (usually lettuce, chard, or spinach).
In any case, consuming them raw is not recommended because they often harbor anisakis, or if marinated, ensure the fish has been frozen first.
If you can’t find sardines, you can alternatively use anchovies, as they are quite similar in texture and final result.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4/6
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 346.27 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 27.89 (g) of which sugars 2.18 (g)
- Proteins 28.61 (g)
- Fat 14.54 (g) of which saturated 4.10 (g)of which unsaturated 4.88 (g)
- Fibers 2.64 (g)
- Sodium 756.33 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 160 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 Stuffed Sardines in Tomato Sauce
- 1.75 lbs sardines (weight after cleaning)
- 7 oz stale bread (crumb only)
- 1 egg
- 1.75 oz parmesan
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 bunch parsley
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
- 1 tomato passata (750ml bottle)
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
Tools
- Saucepan
- Bowl
- Strainer
- Paper Towels
Steps for Stuffed Sardines in Tomato Sauce
Cut off the heads of the sardines, clean them from the innards, remove the backbone, and open them like a book, then wash them and let them drain.
Pat them dry with kitchen paper towels, set them aside temporarily.
Meanwhile, prepare the filling: in a bowl, soak the stale bread (crumb only) in water, once it’s soft, squeeze it well.
Since a few sardines broke while cleaning, I decided to chop them a bit and use them in the filling.
In a mixing bowl, place the well-squeezed bread crumbs, grated cheese, egg, chopped garlic and parsley, adjust with salt, pepper, and finely cut sardines.
Mix everything until you obtain a homogeneous mixture.
Now stuff the sardines: place half of them on a plate, with the skin side down, place a little filling on each sardine, then cover with the remaining sardines.
In a pan, add the oil and the whole clove of garlic, which should be removed at the end of cooking.
Once heated, add the tomato passata, salt, and bring to a boil; let it cook for 10 minutes.
Place the stuffed sardines in a single layer; do not overlap them.
Cover and let cook over moderate heat for 15/17 minutes, occasionally shaking the pan to prevent sticking.
Avoid stirring to prevent damaging the delicate sardines.
Stuffed Sardines in Tomato Sauce are ready to be enjoyed.
Enjoy your meal
Tips
Being a very delicate fish, which can get damaged just by fishing, it should be consumed as fresh as possible.
On the market, you can buy them whole, already gutted, or even with the head removed.
Another recommendation is to pay attention to seasonality: sardines are plentiful in all waters, but from March to September, the warm months, they can be best appreciated.
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FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I use other types of fish?
I recommend anchovies.
