Chef John's Pasta con le Sarde
Chef John's Pasta con le Sarde pairs briny sardines and anchovy with sweet golden raisins, toasty pine nuts, and fragrant fennel, all lifted by a hint of saffron and white wine. Bucatini soaks up the savory-sweet sauce, while crisp toasted breadcrumbs add a crunchy finish. Ideal for a weeknight dinner when you want bold Sicilian flavors in a comforting bowl of pasta.
- Prep20 mins
- Cook45 mins
- Serves4
- DifficultyMedium
easyChef Pro health score
Calculated from USDA-referenced nutrient data for the ingredients in Chef John's Pasta con le Sarde, not estimated by an AI model. The same recipe returns the same score every time.
- Glycemic ImpactFair
- 49 / 100
- Carb quality, not quantity. Higher is better.
- Nutritional DensityPoor
- 13 / 100
- Nutrients per calorie. Higher is better.
- Energy DensityPoor
- 37 / 100
- Calories by weight. Higher means more food for fewer calories.
- NOVA Processed Culinary Ingredients
- 2 / 4
- Processing level, 1 (whole) to 4 (ultra-processed). Lower is better.
How it scores for each health goal
The same recipe scores differently against different goals, because the goal changes the calculation rather than filtering a list. Set your goal in easyChef Pro and every recipe is scored against it.
- 32
- Heart Health
- 58
- Metabolic
- 32
- Digestive
- 30
- Inflammatory
- 30
- Performance
- 31
- General Wellness
- 1
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the bread crumbs and cook, stirring, until crispy and toasted. Transfer the bread crumbs to a bowl.
- 2
Grind the saffron threads with a mortar and pestle; pour the white wine into the mortar and stir to combine.
- 3
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook the bucatini in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until almost fully cooked through but still firm to the bite, 10 to 11 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
- 4
Heat the remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, fennel, and salt; cook and stir until the onion is soft, about 10 minutes. Add the raisins, garlic, and anchovy; cook and stir until heated through, about 1 minute.
- 5
Pour the wine mixture into the skillet and cook until almost evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add 1 ladleful of the reserved pasta water to the skillet and bring to a simmer. Stir in the pine nuts and red pepper flakes; simmer until the flavors combine and the sauce is reduced, about 5 minutes.
- 6
Stir the bucatini and sardines into the skillet. Increase the heat to high and cook, stirring frequently and adding more reserved pasta water as needed, until the sauce and pasta are heated through, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- 7
Ladle into bowls and top with the fennel fronds and toasted bread crumbs.
- Calories 720.36 kcal High 36%
- Protein 28.42 g Good Source 57%
- Carbohydrate 83.51 g 30%
- Total Fat 30.37 g High 39%
- Saturated Fat 4.94 g High 25%
- Trans Fat 0.0 g Low Source 0%
- Cholesterol 42.11 mg Moderate 14%
- Sodium 509.29 mg High 22%
- Dietary Fiber 3.81 g Moderate 14%
- Total Sugars 11.34 g --
- Added Sugars 0.77 g Low Source 2%
- Calcium 222.15 mg Moderate 17%
- Iron 4.45 mg Good Source 25%
- Potassium 350.8 mg Low Source 7%
- Vitamin A 0.05 mcg Low Source 0%
- Vitamin C 3.83 mg Low Source 4%
- Vitamin D 2.5 mcg Moderate 13%
Values are per serving. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
- Fish 🐟
- Wheat 🌾
- Gluten
- Sesame
About This Recipe
Chef John's Pasta con le Sarde is an Italian dinner recipe made with 14 ingredients. It takes about 1 hr 5 mins, serves 4, and is rated medium. Key ingredients include Anchovy, Bread Crumbs, Bucatini Pasta, and Diced Yellow Onion. Each serving provides about 720.36 kcal, and is a good source of protein.
Recipe Questions
- What is Chef John's Pasta con le Sarde?
- It is an Italian pasta recipe made with 14 ingredients, usually served for dinner or lunch.
- What is Chef John's Pasta con le Sarde made of?
- The main ingredients are Anchovy, Bread Crumbs, Bucatini Pasta, Diced Yellow Onion, Extra-Virgin Olive Oil. The full list of 14 is above.
- What goes well with Chef John's Pasta con le Sarde?
- Explore these Italian side-dish recipes.
- How long does it take to make Chef John's Pasta con le Sarde?
- About 1 hr 5 mins in total: 20 mins to prepare and 45 mins to cook.
- How many calories are in one serving?
- One serving provides about 720.36 kcal. The full nutrition breakdown is above.
- Is Chef John's Pasta con le Sarde easy to make?
- This recipe is rated medium, with 14 ingredients and 7 steps.
- Is Chef John's Pasta con le Sarde healthy?
- Chef John's Pasta con le Sarde has an easyChef Pro health score of 36/100. Per serving, it provides 720.36 calories and 28.42 g of protein, or 57% of the Daily Value. It is a good source of iron. Worth noting per serving: sodium at 509.29 mg (22% of the Daily Value) and saturated fat at 4.94 g (25% of the Daily Value). It contains Fish, Wheat, Gluten and Sesame, so it may not be suitable for people with those allergies or dietary restrictions. Whether it fits your goals depends on your complete meal plan and nutritional needs. Remix it in easyChef Pro to adjust the ingredients and generate fresh nutrition and scores.
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