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 also have my 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 combination. You gather and meanwhile think about what you’ll do with it, but there’s little to think about. Even if I don’t have sardines, the pasta can still be made. Try it on your own and judge for yourself. The recipe is here on my blog.giallozafferano.it/vaipinacucina.

Difficulty: Easy
Cost: Cheap
Preparation time: 15 Minutes
Portions: 2
Cooking methods: Stove
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 Preparing Spaghetti with Anchovies and Wild Fennel

10.58 oz anchovies (fresh)
Half onion
1 packet saffron
4 fillets salted anchovies
0.71 oz pine nuts
0.07 oz raisins
2.12 oz breadcrumbs (from fresh bread)
1 bunch wild fennel
1.41 oz extra virgin olive oil
0.28 oz salt
6.35 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 along with the anchovies and two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, let them cook for a few minutes.
Repeatedly crush the anchovies with the wooden spoon to create a paste.
Dissolve the saffron packet in a cup of hot water.
In the sautéed onion and salted anchovies, add the deboned fresh anchovies.
Let it cook for a few minutes, then pour in the saffron water, and add the pine nuts and the raisins that have been soaked and squeezed.
Clean and wash the wild fennel, set the pot for the pasta water and once it boils, immerse the fennel. Cook for 10 minutes and without discarding the water, which you’ll use to cook the pasta, drain and cut the fennel into pieces.
Off the heat, add the boiled and chopped wild fennel to the rest of the sauce.
Meanwhile, toss the breadcrumbs with the oil in a pan and toast them.
Cook the spaghetti in the fennel cooking water and toss them with the anchovy sauce and toasted breadcrumbs.
Spaghetti with Anchovies and Wild Fennel are ready!