Pasta with Sardines

This is the classic lazy person meal since the only real work you need to do is grate lemon peel and chop one onion and one clove of garlic.  So simple and so yummy.  I had to make dinner in a pinch the other night and I desperately wanted a carb-fest so naturally I turned to this classic.  This is also great if your fridge is bare since all the ingredients are pantry staples.

Everybody has a different version of this recipe - I normally add tomatoes but I decided to stay faithful to the Mark Bittman version which he claims is "pre-Columbian."  Click here for the original Mark Bittman video.

makes two generous servings

one tin of sardines in olive oil
one small onion
one clove of garlic
two thin slices of stale bread, rendered into breadcrumbs
one teaspoon of grated lemon peel
one heaping tablespoon of capers
8 oz. spaghetti
olive oil

add olive oil and breadcrumbs to a large saucepan over high heat - turn the breadcrumbs until they are toasted golden brown.  Remove from pan.

Boil water for pasta.  Add pasta and cook while making the sauce.

Add olive oil, diced onion and garlic to the pan and turn down the heat to medium high.  Saute until the onion is soft and nearly translucent, around five minutes.

Add the sardines along with the oil in the tin, the lemon zest and the capers.  Crush the sardines to make a sauce, but leave some smallish sized chunks for flavor. 

At this point your pasta should be done cooking.  Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce along with half of the toasted breadcrumbs.  Serve with the rest of the breadcrumbs as a garnish along with some Parmesan cheese, if you please :)  Bon apetit!

I usually make a really simple side salad to serve with this since it doesn't have much going on in the veg department.  Just toss some arugula leaves with lemon juice (from the lemon you zested earlier) and olive oil, salt and pepper.  You could add some of the toasted breadcrumbs to this as well, and maybe a diced tomato.  Enjoy!