When I’m feeling a quick and easy meal, I lean hard on my repertoire of pantry pasta. I’ll whip up a classic aglio e olio (garlic and olive oil sauce), throw together a quick pesto, or toss pasta with some simple sautéed greens.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
●Igredients
●Instructions
●Serve
Ingredients
●1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
●4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
●1 teaspoon red chili flakes, plus more if needed
●1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
●Salt, to taste
●2 lemons
●12 ounces of dried pasta, such as spaghetti or bucatini
●2 (3.5-ounce to 4.5-ounce) tins of sardines in olive oil, drained and roughly chopped
●1 cup pitted Castelvetrano olives, chopped
●1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Method
1.Cook the pasta:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 3/4 cup of pasta water.
2.Toast the breadcrumbs:
While the water is coming to a boil, prepare the breadcrumbs. Add the olive oil, garlic, and chili flakes to a large skillet. Set over medium heat, and saute for 2-3 minutes, or until the garlic is just beginning to turn golden.
Remove from the heat, and transfer half of the garlic-oil mixture to a small bowl. Set aside to add to the pasta later.
Add the breadcrumbs to the pan with the remaining garlic-oil mixture and toss to combine. Set over medium-low heat, and toast the breadcrumbs for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, season with a pinch of salt, and set aside.
3.Prep the lemons:
Trim off the pointy ends of the lemons. Thinly slice 1 1/2 lemons into 1/8-inch rounds. Remove any seeds, then finely chop the rounds.
Cut the remaining 1/2 lemon into wedges for serving.
4.Caramelize the lemons:
Wipe the pan clean, then add the reserved garlic-oil mixture back into the skillet. Set over medium-low heat, then add the lemons.
Sauté for 4-6 minutes until they’ve fully softened and caramelized, turning slightly golden brown.
5.Add the sardines:
Add the sardines and olives to the pan, and saute over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low.
6.Serve:
Add the pasta to the skillet, and stir to combine with tongs. Stir in about 1/4 cup of pasta water, and toss the pasta, stirring frequently until the sauce clings to the noodles.
Season with salt to taste, and add chili flakes if desired. Divide amongst serving bowls, top with the breadcrumbs, then garnish with the parsley and a squeeze of lemon if needed.
Refrigerate leftover pasta and breadcrumbs in separate airtight containers for up to 2 days.