Pasta With Sardines ~ Pasta Con Sarde

Since tomorrow is San Giuseppe's Day or the Feast of St Joseph, a very popular Patron in Italy, I've decided to post a recipe for a traditional St Joseph's Day meal. St Joseph's Day always falls in Lent, and traditionally all the weekdays of Lent were days of abstinence, so there could be no meat in the sauce. Especially in the South, where fish were plentiful, the answer was pasta con sarde, pasta with sardines!

Enjoy!

Pasta di San Giuse (pasta with breadcrumbs that symbolize sawdust)

From FishEaters website

Note: This recipe came from my parish's website, and was said to be in tribute to "Mamma Giglio." I don't know who Mamma Giglio is, but I don't want to omit the dedication to an Italian Mamma!

Cooked pasta

Sauce:
2 TBSP olive oil
5 cloves garlic, chopped
pinch of red pepper flakes
2 cups chopped fresh fennel
2 cups crushed tomatoes
2 TBSP tomato paste
1 TBSP chopped fresh basil
4 cans of drained, skinless, boneless sardines packed in oil or water

Heat oil in a large pot, and saute in it the garlic and pepper flakes. Add the fennel, tomatoes, paste, and basil. Cover and let simmer 30 minutes 'til fennel is tender. Add the sardines and simmer for a few more minutes.

Topping:
1 TBSP olive oil
1 cup fine homemade breadcrumbs

Heat oil, and add crumbs and heat until golden brown. Pour sauce over the pasta, then sprinkle with the breadcrumbs.