St. Joseph Sauce (Pasta Con Sardi)

Best with bucatini, perciatelli, linguine, or other long moderately thick, tubular pasta

• 1/1/2 lb. pasta of choice

• 1/2c raisins soaked in 1/3c water for (1) hour, squeezed and drained

• ½ tsp. hot pepper flakes

• 4 tbsp. olive oil

• 3/4c dry seasoned breadcrumbs

• 1/4c olive oil and 1/4c olive oil for drizzling at the end

• 1 medium onion chopped

• 6 cloves garlic, chopped

• 1 medium fennel (anise) bulb, chopped, tops set aside. You want to use 1/4c-1/3c fennel tops chopped (feathery green, not stalks)

• 1-2 tsp. saffron soaked in 1/4c water

• 6 flat anchovies chopped

• 1lb. fresh sardines, cleaned and deboned or 1 lb. canned sardines in water or oil

• DO NO USE sardines coated in salt

• 1/4c capers rinsed and drained

• 1/2c pinenuts

• Salt and pepper to taste

Optional:

• 1c tomato sauce

• 1/2c grated cheese for serving

St. Joseph Sauce (Pasta Con Sardi)

In a frying pan, heat 4 tbsp. olive oil. Add onion. Cook until lightly browned. Add garlic and hot pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute. Add the fennel bulb. Stir. Cook until tender. In a separate pan, heat 4 tbsp. olive oil. Add breadcrumbs. Cook until lightly browned. Set aside. Add the sardines, anchovies, and raisins to the onion/ fennel mixture in the other frying pan. Mix. Cook 8-10 minutes, breaking up fish pieces. Add saffron with water, pinenuts, capers, and tomato sauce (if using). Stir. Cook for 6-8 minutes. Taste. Season as needed with salt and pepper. Cook pasta until al dente. Drain well. Re-add to pot it was cooked in. Add in sardine/fennel mixture. Add half the breadcrumbs. Stir together. Add tops of fennel (greens). Mix. Place the prepared pasta in a serving bowl. Sprinkle remaining breadcrumbs on top and drizzle with olive oil. Serve with grated cheese.

History of this Dish

Pasta con Sardi is a Sicilian pasta dish popular in Sicily but best known here in the city of New Orleans. It began when Italian immigrants came to New Orleans in the 1880’s. This tradition continues today during the St. Joseph Day celebrations and has spread throughout many parts of the United States where Sicilian/Italian communities have grown. The dish dates to the 9th century during the Muslim takeover of Sicily and relates to a dish of that period called Spaghetti all Syracusana. There are many variations of this recipe. Some mix sardines and anchovies while others might use one or the other. Other recipes may add white wine while others may omit pine nuts. The recipe above is the one, my family and others, used in my Italian community to celebrate this great saint.

God Bless Good Saint Joseph!

Joan (Fisichelli) Brisimitzakis