This easy and nutritious Jamie Oliver sardine pasta is a quick, delicious meal packed with flavor. Made with tinned sardines, wholewheat spaghetti, and fresh spinach, it’s perfect for a speedy dinner. You can easily adjust the ingredients based on what you have at home for a satisfying and healthy dish.
Ingredients Needed
- 2 large ripe tomatoes (200g / 7 oz)
- 1 x 120g (4.2 oz) tin of sardine fillets in olive oil
- 200g (7 oz) baby spinach
- 300g (10.5 oz) dried wholewheat spaghetti
- 1 bulb of fennel
- 2 lemons
- 20g (0.7 oz) ricotta salata
- 1 pinch of dried chili flakes
How To Make Sardine Pasta
- Prepare the sauce: Halve the tomatoes, scoop out and discard the seeds, then place them in a blender. Add the sardines with their oil and blitz until smooth. Add a splash of water to loosen the mixture if needed.
- Prepare the spinach: Roughly slice the spinach and place it in a large colander in the sink.
- Cook the spaghetti: Boil salted water in a large pan and cook the wholewheat spaghetti according to the package instructions.
- Add fennel to pasta: Pick and reserve any leafy tops from the fennel. Thinly slice the fennel bulb and stalks (using a mandolin if available) and add them to the spaghetti pan for the last few minutes of cooking.
- Drain pasta and wilt spinach: Reserve a mugful of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and fennel over the spinach in the colander so the heat wilts the spinach.
- Toss the pasta with the sauce: Return the pasta, fennel, and spinach to the pan. Toss with the sardine sauce and squeeze in the juice from one lemon. Add a little pasta cooking water if needed to loosen the mixture.
- Season and garnish: Season with sea salt and black pepper. Grate the ricotta salata over the pasta, add some lemon zest, sprinkle with reserved fennel tops, and add chili flakes.
- Serve: Cut the remaining lemon into wedges for squeezing and serve immediately.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t overcook the fennel: Add the fennel during the last few minutes of cooking to keep it slightly crunchy for a nice texture in the dish.
- Save pasta water: Always reserve some pasta water before draining. It’s essential for loosening the sauce and adding a silky finish to the pasta.
- Adjust chili flakes carefully: If you’re sensitive to heat, start with a small pinch of chili flakes and add more to taste to avoid overpowering the dish.
How To Store And Reheat Leftovers?
- Refrigerate: Let the leftover sardine pasta cool to room temperature. Transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Reheat: Place the pasta in a pan with a splash of water or olive oil. Warm over medium heat for 5–7 minutes, stirring frequently, until heated evenly.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 217
- Total Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 2.1g
- Total Carbohydrate: 25.6g
- Dietary Fiber: 4.5g
- Sugars: 4.6g
- Protein: 14.8g
Try More Jamie Oliver Recipes:
- Jamie Oliver Pasta alla Norma
- Jamie Oliver Zucchini Pasta
- Jamie Oliver Meatball Pasta
- Jamie Oliver Courgette Pasta
Jamie Oliver Sardine Pasta
Description
This easy and nutritious Jamie Oliver sardine pasta is a quick, delicious meal packed with flavor. Made with tinned sardines, wholewheat spaghetti, and fresh spinach, it’s perfect for a speedy dinner. You can easily adjust the ingredients based on what you have at home for a satisfying and healthy dish.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Prepare the sauce: Halve the tomatoes, scoop out and discard the seeds, then place them in a blender. Add the sardines with their oil and blitz until smooth. Add a splash of water to loosen the mixture if needed.
- Prepare the spinach: Roughly slice the spinach and place it in a large colander in the sink.
- Cook the spaghetti: Boil salted water in a large pan and cook the wholewheat spaghetti according to the package instructions.
- Add fennel to pasta: Pick and reserve any leafy tops from the fennel. Thinly slice the fennel bulb and stalks (using a mandolin if available) and add them to the spaghetti pan for the last few minutes of cooking.
- Drain pasta and wilt spinach: Reserve a mugful of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and fennel over the spinach in the colander so the heat wilts the spinach.
- Toss the pasta with the sauce: Return the pasta, fennel, and spinach to the pan. Toss with the sardine sauce and squeeze in the juice from one lemon. Add a little pasta cooking water if needed to loosen the mixture.
- Season and garnish: Season with sea salt and black pepper. Grate the ricotta salata over the pasta, add some lemon zest, sprinkle with reserved fennel tops, and add chili flakes.
- Serve: Cut the remaining lemon into wedges for squeezing and serve immediately.
Notes
- Don’t overcook the fennel: Add the fennel during the last few minutes of cooking to keep it slightly crunchy for a nice texture in the dish.
- Save pasta water: Always reserve some pasta water before draining. It’s essential for loosening the sauce and adding a silky finish to the pasta.
- Adjust chili flakes carefully: If you’re sensitive to heat, start with a small pinch of chili flakes and add more to taste to avoid overpowering the dish.
Jamie Oliver Sardine Pasta