One of our colleagues is an unabashed advocate for old world Tapas/Pintxos, and she has a million ways to enjoy the tinned fish. Despite their surging popularity in the States, they are a mainstay in Portugal and Spain, where she learned to love these little gems of the sea! Here's an easy recipe that leverages this healthy source of protein!
Ingredients (serves 4)
2 tins of skin-on sardines in olive oil (such as the Nuri or Ati Manel)
1 Tbsp Kosher salt
1 pound dried spaghetti (such as the "Good Hair Day" Pasta we sell)
Extra-virgin olive oil
2/3 Cup of large garlic cloves, thinly sliced (about 15 large cloves)
1-2 teaspoons crushed red pepper, plus more for garnish
4 Tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped (plus more for garnish)
1/2 Cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, (you'll need to buy ~2 ounces), plus more for garnish (another ounce)
Grated lemon zest, for garnish
Procedure
Preheat oven to 450°F. Add the kosher salt to 5-6 quarts of water in a large pot and set over high heat to boil.
Line a baking tray with parchment. Remove sardines from tin, preserving the oil, and place sardines on the baking sheet. Finely mash and spread the sardines into little elongated fish pancakes, leaving some spaces between each. Bake until crispy - check after 10 minutes, but they'll likely need more like 15. After removing from the oven, let them sit for a minute before placing on a paper towel to drain. Set aside.
To the pot of boiling, salted water, add the spaghetti and gently stir until the water begins to boil again, then reduce heat to maintain a very slow boil and set a timer according to the package directions - usually ~10 minutes +/- a minute.
While your pasta is cooking, add enough olive oil to the saved sardine oil to equal 1/3 cup. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-low. When the oil is heated, add the garlic and stir until the slivers are light brown, about 7 minutes - doing this slowly over low heat for several minutes keeps the garlic from getting harsh, bringing out its sweetness instead. After about 7 minutes, add the crushed red pepper and continue stirring another 30 seconds.
When the pasta is done, remove a cup of the pasta water before draining the cooked pasta into a colander. Gently add the drained pasta into the pan and set heat to medium-low. Add 3/4 of your saved pasta water and toss with tongs until the pasta is coated. Add the remaining cup pasta water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if needed. The starchy water gives the pasta a nice sheen and helps everything stick to the pasta instead of the bowel!
Remove from heat, add parsley and the grated Parmigiano, toss to coat evenly and garnish with the crispy sardines, lemon zest, additional red pepper, parsley, and Parmigiano.
