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Sardine and Fennel Pasta with Lemon Breadcrumbs

Fennel softens into a silky olive-oil sauce while sardine flakes, lemon, and crisp crumbs keep every forkful bright and savory.

Bucatini is coated with fennel and sardine flakes beneath crisp lemon breadcrumbs and fresh herbs.

This pantry pasta turns a few assertive ingredients into a balanced supper. Soft fennel and lemon round out the sardines, while toasted breadcrumbs add the crisp finish that cheese often supplies in southern Italian cooking.

Soften fennel slowly

Thin fennel slices become sweet and flexible when cooked gently in olive oil. Leaving the heat moderate prevents the garlic and chile added later from scorching in the skillet.

Toast the crumbs separately

Breadcrumbs are toasted before the sauce so they stay crisp instead of soaking up pasta liquid. Removing them from the skillet as soon as they turn golden stops their color from deepening too far.

Fennel softens in olive oil in a skillet while toasted breadcrumbs wait in a small bowl. — Fennel softens in olive oil before sardines and lemon are folded into the skillet.

Fold, do not mash

Sardines need only a brief warming once the aromatics are ready. A gentle fold disperses their savory flavor while keeping a few substantial flakes visible in the finished dish.

Use pasta water for a light gloss

Starchy cooking water helps the olive oil cling to the bucatini. Add it gradually while tossing; a glossy coating is the cue to stop, before liquid collects beneath the pasta.

Glossy bucatini holds visible sardine flakes and fennel beneath crisp golden crumbs. — Crisp lemon breadcrumbs crown bucatini with fennel and intact sardine flakes.

Sardine and Fennel Pasta with Lemon Breadcrumbs

4 servings

40 minutes total

Ingredients

• 12 oz dried bucatini
• 1 tbsp kosher salt, for pasta water
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1/2 cup plain fine breadcrumbs
• 1 medium fennel bulb with fronds
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tbsp capers, rinsed and drained
• 2 cans (4 oz each) sardines packed in olive oil, drained lightly
• 1 medium lemon
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Method

Heat and salt the water
Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large pot. Stir in the 1 tbsp kosher salt, then keep the pot at a steady boil while you prepare the sauce.
Look for: The water is boiling vigorously and the salt has dissolved.
Toast the breadcrumbs
Warm 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and stir often until evenly golden and crisp, then scrape them into a small bowl so they stop toasting.
Look for: The crumbs are fragrant and golden throughout, with no dark patches.
Prepare the fennel and aromatics
Trim the fennel bulb, reserve a small handful of its fronds for garnish, and slice the bulb thinly. Thinly slice the garlic, rinse and drain the capers, and zest and juice the lemon, keeping its zest and juice together.
Look for: The fennel slices are thin enough to soften quickly and the fronds remain fresh for serving.
Cook the bucatini
Add the bucatini to the boiling salted water and cook until just shy of al dente, following the package timing. Before draining, reserve 1 cup pasta water; drain the pasta without rinsing.
Look for: The pasta bends easily but still has a slight firm center, and the reserved water is cloudy with starch.
Soften the fennel
While the pasta cooks, heat the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced fennel, kosher salt, and black pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly golden at the edges.
Look for: The fennel has lost its raw crunch but still holds its shape, with a few pale-golden edges.
Bloom the garlic and capers
Stir the sliced garlic and red pepper flakes into the fennel and cook until fragrant without browning the garlic. Add the capers and stir until they are hot and coated in the oil.
Look for: The garlic smells mellow and aromatic, not toasted or bitter.
Fold in the sardines and lemon
Add the sardines to the skillet and gently fold them through the fennel, breaking some into the oil while leaving several generous flakes intact. Stir in the lemon zest and juice and take care not to mash the fish into a paste.
Look for: The sardines are warmed through, with both small flakes and a few larger pieces visible.
Gloss the pasta with sauce
Add the drained bucatini and 1/2 cup reserved pasta water to the skillet. Toss continuously until the sauce lightly coats the strands; add more reserved water a splash at a time if the pan looks dry, then fold in the parsley.
Look for: The oil and pasta water form a light sheen around the pasta rather than pooling at the bottom.
Finish with crisp crumbs
Divide the pasta among warm bowls and scatter the toasted breadcrumbs over each serving. Finish with the reserved fennel fronds and serve promptly so the crumbs stay crisp.
Look for: Each bowl has crisp crumbs on top, visible sardine flakes, and fresh fennel fronds.