If you were Venetian, and therefore Catholic, and were forbidden to eat meat on Fridays, you might choose instead a delicious whole wheat pasta tossed with rich sardines and fennel for your supper. Aren’t you lucky, then, that even if you are a Swedish Lutheran, you can happily take part in this lovely ritual? Bigoli is yummy fresh, but it can also be found dried in Italian markets. Although you could substitute other types of pasta, the depth of flavor of the whole wheat really holds up to the intensity of the fish.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for 1 minute less than the package directions say.
Step 2
While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil, garlic, and chile flakes in a large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Cook gently, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes, until the garlic is soft but not brown.
Step 3
Brush the sardines with olive oil and season with salt and pepper on both sides and in the cavity. Heat a grill pan on high. Add the sardines and grill for 2 minutes on each side, or until just done. When the fish are cool enough to handle, pull the meat off the bones in large chunks and add to a bowl. Add the fennel, toss, and reserve.
Step 4
Drain the bigoli and tip into the pan with the infused oil. Toss to coat, and then divide among 4 shallow bowls. Spoon any remaining oil over the fish and fennel and toss gently. Spoon the fish over the pasta and serve.
