Pasta with sardines, cherry tomatoes and breadcrumbs

Name: Pasta with sardines, cherry tomatoes and breadcrumbs
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Gluten-free Spaghetti pasta 11.5 oz; Sardines 0.9 lb; Anchovies desalted 2 fillets; Cherry tomatoes 1 ¾ cup; Garlic 1 clove; Gluten-free breadcrumbs 0.9 oz; Parsley to taste; Salted capers desalted 1.1 oz; Dried chili pepper to taste; Extra virgin olive oil 2 tbsp

Gluten Free
Lactose Free

Difficulty: Very easy
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Serving: 4
Cost: Low

PRESENTATION

Recipe by
Nicola Sorrentino

Pasta with Sardines, Cherry Tomatoes, and Breadcrumbs works the way it does because two fish are pulling in the same direction: sardines bring bold, oily depth while anchovies dissolve into the sauce and drive the salinity higher, and the sweetness of cherry tomatoes keeps the whole thing from tipping too far. That three-way balance is what makes this gluten free pasta with sardines worth returning to — not a compromise, but a dish that earns its own logic.

The finish is what most cooks remember. A generous shower of toasted pangrattato lands just before serving, adding crunch to a plate that would otherwise be entirely soft, with fresh parsley cutting through and a quiet heat from chili pepper settling in at the end. The breadcrumbs are gluten-free throughout, so the textural payoff is the same — nothing left out.

How to prepare Pasta with sardines, cherry tomatoes and breadcrumbs

To prepare the pasta with sardines, cherry tomatoes and breadcrumbs, start by browning a clove of garlic in 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil 1. Add the gluten-free breadcrumbs to the pan 2 and toast them gently 3; this will take about 3 minutes. Then transfer them to a small bowl.

Finely chop the parsley 4 and add it to the toasted breadcrumbs in the bowl 5. Clean the sardines by removing the head, the fin and the dorsal bone. Open them "a libro" (butterfly them), rinsing them well under running water 6.

Cut the sardines into 1-centimetre pieces (about 3/8 inch) 7 and cut the cherry tomatoes into quarters 8. Drop the spaghetti into a pot full of boiling salted water 9.

In a pan pour the remaining 1 tbsp of oil, a clove of garlic and the desalinated anchovies 10. After letting the anchovies melt over low heat, which will take about 3 minutes, add the sardines 11 and the cherry tomatoes 12 to the pan.

Stir well 12. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. In the meantime, desalinate the capers and roughly chop them 13. After the 5 minutes, add them to the sauce 14.

Adjust the salt if necessary 16. Drain the spaghetti al dente, add them to the pan 17 and toss briefly 18.

Plate the pasta, sprinkle a tablespoon of toasted breadcrumbs on top 19 and a pinch of chili powder 20. Your pasta with sardines, cherry tomatoes and breadcrumbs is ready to be served 21!