This bright and lemony pasta is tossed with garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, crushed red chilies and sardines. Lemon Sardine Pasta is the perfect pantry-friendly weeknight meal clocking in at less than 30 minutes!
Want a simple midweek supper dish or just a simple lunch dish in general? Then look no further than this cracking, simple recipe. Once tried, this Lemon Sardine Pasta could very quickly become a firm family favorite, as it really is incredibly quick and easy to make, deliciously light to eat, and bursting with nutritional goodness. Served hot or cold, as a pasta salad, makes it versatile too.
KEY INGREDIENTS FOR THIS LEMON SARDINE PASTA:
Sardines: We recommend using Matiz sardines packed in olive oil. When you choose good quality sardines, they have a clean, subtle fish flavor.
Onion: Sweet onion, chopped and sautéed in extra-virgin olive oil until lightly caramelized adds an overall sweetness to the dish that provides a nice balance for the other ingredients.
Crushed Red Chilies: While not essential, we think red chili flakes add a spicy kick to this dish that complements both the sardines and the lemon beautifully, but no worries if you’re not a fan – just leave them out.
Lemon zest and Juice: The flavor of freshly grated lemon zest and lemon juice is the perfect balance for the sweetness of the sautéed onion.
Parsley: A handful of fresh parsley added toward the end of cooking always adds a bright note that can’t be duplicated with dried herbs.
More about sardines:
Wild sardines packed in olive oil are what we recommend for making pasta with sardines. They are low in calories, high in protein, and have good amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids, iron, and potassium. And, because they’re so small, sardines are low in mercury too.
We generally buy Matiz brand because they’re sustainably caught, come packed in a BPA-free tin, are non-GMO certified, and are reasonably easy to find in your local grocery store.
HOW DO YOU MAKE PASTA WITH SARDINES?
This pasta dish is beyond simple; it’s a total dump and toss. Cook your pasta, simmer your other ingredients in a different pan, dump your cooked pasta into that pan, and toss to coat. Since the protein is ready to eat straight out of the can, cooking time is short. Here’s the rundown:
- Cook the pasta as per the instructions on the packaging; set aside.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, chili flakes and lemon zest, and simmer until tender and fragrant.
- Add the drained sardines to the pan and break them down into chunks with a spatula. Simmer until the sardines are warmed up.
- Dump the cooked pasta into the pan and toss to evenly distribute the onions, garlic, and sardines. Add the lemon juice, a few handfuls of fresh parsley and a generous amount of cracked black pepper, and continue to toss to evenly distribute all of those flavors; salt as needed.
- Finally, sprinkle the parsley over the pasta. Give it a quick toss, and serve immediately.
KEYS TO MAKE PERFECT LEMON SARDINE PASTA:
- Quality really matters here. Good sardines, fresh or tinned, good olive oil, fresh garlic and lemon, quality pasta. You will really taste the difference.
- Where possible, use sustainably caught sardines and check carefully that your fillets are boneless, especially if serving this dish to children.
- Eating sardines, whether canned or fresh, is a great way to increase your Omega-3 fatty acids – essential for brain health and as an anti-inflammatory helping the body to heal.
- You can substitute herring, smelt or other small fish for the sardines.
- If you use salted anchovies, you need to rinse them first. You can add a tablespoon or two of tomato paste with the anchovies.
- Don’t use too much sauce. Big globs will come off fishy. A light coating is what you want.
- This pasta is delicious hot, but it also makes a lovely summer dish served cold.
- Heat a serving bowl – this will ultimately ensure that the dish keeps warm while you enjoy it.
- To ring the changes with the pasta, switch out the linguine for spaghetti or any of your favorite pasta shapes.
- Serve with a crisp white wine, like a Sancerre or Pinot Grigio or Albariño.
HAVING LEFTOVER PASTA?
Make sure the pasta is completely cold, then cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for no longer than 24 hours. The pasta makes a great lunchbox filling the next day. Just gently warm through before eating.
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Lemon Sardine Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 oz thin spaghetti pasta
- 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup shallots chopped
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp salt or more to taste
- 1 package Matiz Brand Sardines in Pure Olive Oil drained 4.375 oz
- 1/4 cup lemon juice or more to taste
- 3 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Cook the pasta as per the instructions on the packaging; set aside.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, chilli flakes and lemon zest, and simmer until tender and fragrant.
- Add the drained sardines to the pan and break them down into chunks with a spatula. Simmer until the sardines are warmed up.
- Dump the cooked pasta into the pan and toss to evenly distribute the onions, garlic, and sardines. Add the lemon juice, a few handfuls of fresh parsley and a generous amount of cracked black pepper, and continue to toss to evenly distribute all of those flavors; salt as needed.
- Finally, sprinkle the parsley over the pasta. Give it a quick toss, and serve immediately.
