Serve with: Busiate Capunti Fettuccine Malloreddus Orecchiette Pici Tagliatelle
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 tablespoons (55 grams) unsalted butter, divided
- 2 medium yellow or white onions, thinly sliced into half-moons
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 ounce (25 grams; 6 to 8 fillets) oil-packed anchovies
- ½ cup (120 ml) dry white wine like Pinot Grigio
- 1 (4.2-ounce/120-gram) tin oil-packed sardines, drained and bones removed
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 1 loosely packed cup (20 grams) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- ⅔ cup (40 grams) toasted breadcrumbs, here, plus more for serving
Directions
- In a Dutch oven or large sauté pan, warm the oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until very soft but not browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Reduce the heat as needed.
- Add the anchovies and cook, stirring, until dissolved, then cook 2 to 3 minutes longer. Pour in the wine and simmer for 2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Turn off the heat.
- Cook your pasta of choice until just shy of your liking. When the pasta is almost ready, return the sauce to medium-high heat and add ¾ cup (180 ml) pasta cooking water. Simmer until slightly thickened. Season to taste.
- Transfer the pasta directly to the sauce (or drain it first and reserve 1 cup (240 ml) pasta cooking water), along with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, the sardines, lemon zest and juice, most of the parsley, and the breadcrumbs. Toss to combine and cook, stirring constantly, until the pasta is well coated and the sardines flake into pieces, 1 to 2 minutes. Loosen with more pasta cooking water as needed.
- Divide the pasta among bowls and serve topped with the rest of the parsley and breadcrumbs.