When I'm feeling a quick and easy meal, I lean hard on my repertoire of pantry pasta. I'll whip up a classic aglio e olio (garlic and olive oil sauce), throw together a quick pesto, or toss pasta with some simple sautéed greens.
I fully believe that pasta doesn't have to be complicated to be tasty or impressive. So when I set off to develop a recipe featuring canned sardines, I knew it needed to feel special without feeling burdensome. The resulting recipe is loosely inspired by pasta con le sarde, a Sicilian sardine pasta.
Here, the mild, briny flavor of sardines is complemented by tangy, sweet caramelized lemons and buttery Castelvetrano olives. Garlic and red chili flakes sauté in oil, and the aglio e olio-like base serves two functions: it amps up the pasta sauce and provides a flavorful canvas for frying breadcrumbs.
In addition, the crispy, crunchy garlic and breadcrumbs offer a fun textural component. Keeping things light and bright, a garnish of parsley completes the dish.
