Tomato Pasta and Sardines and Breadcrumbs

An easy and good tomato pasta made with canned sardines, chilli, garlic and white wine. Topped with lemony breadcrumbs and fresh parsley, it's such a great store cupboard meal that's ready in under 30 minutes.

Canned sardines seem to be having their moment right now and for good reason. Not only are they a fantastic low-cost, store cupboard ingredient, but they taste great and are packed full of omega-3s.

Although we do enjoy a traditional Sicilian Pasta con le Sarde made with pine nuts and raisins, we wanted to create a more savoury, tomato-based version with lots of garlic, chilli and fresh parsley.

This recipe did not disappoint, and it's easy to whip up on busy weeknights. You can even prep the sauce one day in advance, and reheat it, then add your pasta when you're ready.

See the full recipe below, plus our top tips and ingredient notes. Enjoy!

Ingredient notes

• Spaghetti – dried long pasta is best suited to this sauce, so go for either spaghetti or linguine if possible.
• Sardines – We use sardines canned in tomato sauce, but you can also use sardines canned in oil (remove the excess before adding). Use any canned sardines you like; they don't have to be expensive.
• Fresh red chilli – chillies all vary in heat levels, so use as much as you want. Sometimes we add the whole chilli (deseeded) and other times we'll only use half. You can also use dried chilli flakes instead, add them to your preference alongside the garlic.
• Plum tomatoes – as always, we highly recommend Mutti tomatoes, but use a brand you know and trust yourself. You can also use polpa or chopped tomatoes instead.
• Capers – we use capers jarred in brine. If you use those stored in salt, rinse them before adding to the sauce.
• Breadcrumbs – We use Italian Mulino Bianco breadcrumbs, which are plain, fine breadcrumbs. We don't recommend using breadcrumbs with added seasonings. You can, of course, blitz up leftover stale bread if you have some that needs using up.
• White wine – you can omit this entirely if you don't drink alcohol. If using, we recommend an Italian white such as Pecorino, Pinot Grigio or Vermentino. The tip is to use a white wine that you would drink (not cooking wine).

Recipe tips and FAQs

Crush your plum tomatoes – you can either do this by hand before adding them to the pan, or you can add them and then use a potato masher to crush them (our preferred method).

Sardine swap – you can use good-quality canned tuna instead of sardines.

Leftovers – this pasta is best eaten immediately for the best flavour. If you have leftovers, you can store them in the fridge for up to 1 day.

Can we prep this in advance?

Yes, you can prep the sauce up to 1 day in advance and store it in the fridge. Reheat it on the stove until piping hot, then add your pasta and enjoy.

Can we freeze this pasta sauce?

We don't recommend freezing this one, as the sardines can change in texture once frozen; it's best eaten on the same day it's made.

More fish and seafood pasta recipes to try

Pasta

Tuna Pasta with Tomatoes and Capers

Pasta

Summer Tuna Pasta Sauce

Pasta

Linguine alle Vongole (Pasta with Clams)

Pasta

Shrimp Linguine with Burst Tomatoes & Parsley

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

• 400 g (14oz) spaghetti ((or linguine))
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 fresh red chilli
• 60 ml (1/4 cup) white wine
• 800 g (28oz) canned plum tomatoes ((we used Mutti))
• 120 g (4 oz) canned sardines in tomato sauce (see notes)
• 1 tablespoon capers ((jarred in brine))
• 1 small handful fresh parsley (finely chopped)
• 4 tablespoons breadcrumbs
• Zest of 1/2 lemon
• Salt and pepper
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil

Method

1. Heat a pan on a medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the breadcrumbs and toast until golden, making sure to stir often so they don't burn. Transfer them to a bowl and add the zest of 1/2 lemon; set aside (photos 1 and 2).

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it well. Finely chop the garlic cloves and fresh red chilli.

3. Use as much chilli as you like; if it's a particularly hot one, you can just use half. We like to deseed ours so it's not overpowering.

4. Heat around 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan and add the garlic and chilli. Sauté for a few minutes until fragrant, then add the white wine (photos 3 and 4).

5. Let the wine reduce by half, then add the plum tomatoes, breaking them up in the pan with a wooden spoon or potato masher. Simmer the sauce on a medium-high heat for 5 minutes (photos 5 and 6).

6. After simmering the sauce for 5 minutes, add the pasta to the water and cook until al dente.

7. Stir the tinned sardines and capers into the sauce and continue to simmer the sauce until the pasta is done (photo 7).

8. When the pasta is ready, transfer it to the sauce using kitchen tongs and toss it to coat in the sauce. Add a splash of pasta water if needed. Finally, stir through some finely chopped fresh parsley (photo 8).

9. Serve in bowls topped with some breadcrumbs (you may not need them all).

Kitchen notes

• Sardines you can use sardines canned in tomato sauce or oil. If using those canned in oil remove the excess before adding to the sauce. Some sardines are canned in spicy tomato sauce, which are also fine to use; you might have to add less fresh chilli if you can't tolerate too much heat.
• More store cupboard swaps you can use dried chilli flakes instead of fresh chilli (add to your taste and heat tolerance). You can also use dried oregano instead of parsley if preferred.
• Storage best eaten and enjoyed immediately. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 1 day. Do not freeze.