Description: A Classic Sicilian dish - Made with fresh sardines and / or anchovies.
Served during the Feast of Saint Joseph -La Festa di San Giuseppe.
Serving Size: 6 - 7
Time: 20 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:
  1. 1 pound long pasta (bucatini or perciatelli)
  2. 1 1/4 pounds fresh sardines (or salt packed if fresh are not avaliable)
  3. 1 bulb fennel
  4. Oil
  5. 2 tablespoons tomato paste diluted in water
Preparation:
  1. Remove the heads and tails from the sardines, split and bone them, (if using salt packed - soak them in water (or milk), using several changes to remove the salt).
  2. Then flour them, fry them and set them aside.
  3. Boil the fennel until it's fork tender in lightly salted water, drain it, and mince it.
  4. Cook the pasta, drain it, and set it aside.
Instructions:
  1. Add the fennel, lightly season the mixture with salt and pepper, stir in the 2 tablespoons of tomato paste diluted with water, and simmer the resulting sauce for 10 minutes.
  2. Now that everything is ready, mix the sardines into the pasta in a heat proof dish, heat the mixture in the oven, and serve it hot.