Best Bucatini With Fennel And Anchovies Recipes

PASTA WITH SARDINES AND FENNEL

Steps:

• In a small skillet, toast bread crumbs in 2 tablespoons olive oil until golden. Season with salt and pepper and a pinch of sugar. Set aside.
• Simmer the fennel fronds in a large pot of salted water until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove and spread out on a platter to cool. Do not discard cooking water. When fronds are cool, chop finely with a large knife (or pulse in a food processor with a little of the cooking water).
• Put raisins and currants in a bowl and cover with the white wine and 1/2 cup hot fennel-cooking water. Add crumbled saffron and let ingredients steep together for 10 minutes.
• In a large skillet, stew the onions and diced fennel in 6 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat until softened, about 10 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add anchovies, ground fennel and coriander seeds, garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 2 minutes more. Stir in reserved fennel fronds. Add the raisin mixture and its liquid and bring to a simmer.
• Season the fresh sardine fillets with salt and pepper and lay them on top of the onion mixture. Put a lid on the pan and turn off the heat for about 5 minutes, so sardines cook through and are just done. Stir to distribute chunks of fish throughout mixture. (If using canned sardines, skip this step and simply stir them in.)
• Boil the bucatini in the fennel cooking water (add more water to the pot if necessary). Cook until noodles are on the firm side of al dente, then drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water. Add pasta to pan with onion-sardine mixture, sprinkle pasta lightly with salt and gently toss together, adding a little pasta water to keep everything well moistened. Taste and correct seasoning; it should be well seasoned.
• Transfer to a large platter or wide pasta bowl. Sprinkle with bread crumbs, pine nuts and parsley. Garnish with lemon wedges. Add a drizzle of olive oil, if desired.

SICILIAN BUCATINI WITH SARDINES

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs for al dente. Reserve 1 1/4 cups cooking water, then drain. Reserve the pot.
• Meanwhile, put the raisins in a small bowl and add hot tap water to just cover; set aside. Mix 2 teaspoons olive oil with the breadcrumbs and 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds; toast in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring, until golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
• Wipe out the pasta pot and heat the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and fennel bulb and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fennel is tender and golden, about 8 minutes. Add the pine nuts, turmeric and remaining 1 teaspoon fennel seeds and cook, stirring, until the oil is golden and the nuts and spices are toasted, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the raisins and soaking water and 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking water; remove from the heat.
• Add the pasta, sardines and fennel fronds to the pot. Return to medium-high heat and cook, stirring, until coated, adding the remaining cooking water as needed to loosen. Season with salt and pepper. Divide among bowls, drizzle with olive oil and top with the toasted breadcrumbs.

ALEX'S ANCHOVY BUCATINI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Put about 3 cups stale Italian bread on a baking sheet and put in hot oven. Bake for 10 minutes, cool and add to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a bottom blade. Pulse into crumbs.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium heat. Salt the water and add the pasta. Cook until al dente. Remove 1 cup of the cooking water and reserve. Drain the pasta and set aside.
• In a large saute pan, add 4 tablespoons of the olive oil and the bread crumbs and cook over medium-high heat until golden and well coated. Remove from the pan to a plate.
• Add the remaining 4 tablespoons of the oil to the pan and when hot, add the anchovies and the minced red bell peppers and cook, rapidly, stirring them around with a wooden spoon, for about 2 minutes. Add the onions and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and chili flakes, cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes. Add 1/2 to 1 cup of the bread crumbs and half of the cheese. Stir in the pasta, toss to combine, adding the cooking liquid as needed.
• Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with remaining cheese, bread crumbs and parsley. Serve immediately.