The pasta with wild fennel without sardines is known in Sicily also as pasta con le sarde “a mare”, a version of the traditional pasta with sardines made without fish. Everyone knows the pasta with sardines and wild fennel, a typical recipe of Sicilian cuisine with its grandmother’s recipes, and everyone who has tried it at least once knows that it’s delightful. But not everyone knows that pasta with sardines and wild fennel can also be made without sardines and it’s delicious!
To prepare “pasta con le sarde a mare” or pasta with wild fennel without sardines you only need a few minutes, a few ingredients and lots of love — which, fortunately, at my home never fails!!
Today I’ll tell you how to prepare a traditional poor Sicilian dish, economical and born in the inland countryside far from the sea, where wild fennel was abundant, along with tomato extract, salt-packed anchovies, maybe capers, almonds and pine nuts, but no fish.
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 5 servings
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients to make pasta con le sarde “a mare”
- 1.1 lb bucatini (or any pasta you prefer)
- 1 onion (medium)
- 1 oz anchovy fillets (salted fillets, rinsed and deboned (or use oil-packed fillets))
- 3 tbsp raisins (about 1 oz (3 tbsp))
- 6.75 tbsp tomato paste (about 3.5 oz)
- 7 oz wild fennel fronds (or less, use what you have)
- 3 tbsp almonds (toasted and coarsely chopped, or use pine nuts)
Tools
- Pot
- Skillet
Preparation of pasta with wild fennel without sardines or Pasta con le sarde a mare
Clean the wild fennel, keeping only the tender inner shoots and the outer fronds, discarding the tough, stringy stalks. Wash everything well and boil it for about 30 minutes.
Drain, squeeze out excess water and chop everything with a knife or scissors.
Peel, rinse, slice and sauté a medium onion in plenty of olive oil.
Add the desalinated, deboned anchovies or, simply, the ready-to-use oil-packed fillets that I prefer.
Stir until they completely dissolve and add the rinsed (not soaked) and squeezed raisins.
Let it flavor for a moment and add the tomato paste (in the past, concentrated tomato extract was used — sun-dried, salted tomato paste) and dilute with a generous cup of water (about 1 cup / 240 ml).
Let the sauce reduce a little, then add the chopped wild fennel, cook for another ten minutes over low heat and turn off the heat.
Put the pasta water on the stove. You should use bucatini, but any shape will do (you could cook the pasta in the fennel cooking water; I do not because it becomes a bit darker).
Put the breadcrumbs in a skillet, add a drizzle of olive oil and toast them (muddica atturrata — darkened breadcrumbs) until browned. Stir because once the pan heats up they can burn quickly.
Toast the almonds, let them cool and chop them with a knife, or use pine nuts.
Drain the pasta, add it to the sauce, add a couple tablespoons of toasted breadcrumbs, mix and bring to the table immediately.
Serve hot sprinkled with more toasted breadcrumbs or “muddica atturrata” (toasted breadcrumbs).
Storage notes and tips
Pasta with wild fennel without sardines can be stored in the refrigerator for one day in an airtight container. Before serving again, reheat it in a skillet adding a tablespoon of water or a drizzle of oil to restore creaminess to the sauce. Freezing is not recommended.
To make the pasta with wild fennel even more aromatic, you can prepare the sauce in advance and let it rest for a few hours: the flavors will meld better. If you like a more pronounced taste, finish the dish with a handful of toasted breadcrumbs before serving. This version, also known as pasta con le sarde a mare, is perfect when you want to bring a simple but fragrant first course to the table.
To make the pasta with wild fennel even more aromatic, you can prepare the sauce in advance and let it rest for a few hours: the flavors will meld better. If you like a more pronounced taste, finish the dish with a handful of toasted breadcrumbs before serving. This version, also known as pasta con le sarde a mare, is perfect when you want to bring a simple but fragrant first course to the table.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is pasta con le sarde a mare?
Pasta con le sarde a mare is a version of the traditional pasta with sardines prepared without adding fish, using wild fennel to obtain a dish that is still fragrant and tasty.
Can pasta with wild fennel without sardines be prepared in advance?
Yes, the sauce can be prepared in advance and stored in the refrigerator for a few hours. This allows the flavors to blend better.
Can you freeze pasta with wild fennel?
It is not recommended to freeze already dressed pasta. It is preferable to keep only the sauce in the refrigerator for one day.
What is the best pasta shape for pasta with wild fennel?
Traditionally bucatini are used, but spaghetti or macaroni are also perfect for collecting the sauce.
What is the difference between pasta with sardines and pasta con le sarde a mare?
Pasta with sardines uses fish, while pasta con le sarde a mare is prepared without sardines, using only wild fennel.
Why is it called pasta con le sarde a mare?
Pasta con le sarde “a mare” gets its name from the fact that it is prepared without adding sardines. It is a version of the traditional pasta with sardines born in inland areas where fish was not always available, but wild fennel was used to obtain a dish that remained fragrant and tasty.
