The Brida Kitchen Co-op

Ingredients

• 200 g spaghetti (or linguine)
• 6–8 fresh sardines (cleaned, filleted if possible)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• ½ tsp chili flakes (or to taste)
• Zest of 1 lemon + 2 tbsp lemon juice
• Small bunch fresh parsley, chopped
• Salt & black pepper
• Optional: handful of toasted breadcrumbs for topping

Method

1. Prep the sardines
   Pat them dry, season lightly with salt and pepper. 
2. Cook the pasta
   Bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Cook spaghetti until just al dente. Reserve about ½ cup of the pasta water before draining. 
3. Pan-fry the sardines
   Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a wide pan. Add the sardines, skin-side down, and cook about 1 minute per side (they cook fast). Remove to a plate. 
4. Make the sauce base
   In the same pan, add remaining olive oil. Gently fry garlic slices until fragrant (not brown) and add chili flakes. 
5. Bring it together
   Add drained pasta to the pan along with lemon zest, lemon juice, and a splash of reserved pasta water. Toss well to coat. 
6. Add sardines
   Break sardines into large chunks and gently fold into the pasta. Heat through for 1 minute. 

Finish & serve
Sprinkle with chopped parsley and (optional) toasted breadcrumbs for crunch. Serve immediately with an extra drizzle of olive oil.