Recipe: Pasta con le Sarde – The Arab Legacy

Pasta con le sarde is one of Sicily’s most emblematic dishes, a testament to the island’s rich multicultural history. Hailing from Palermo, it carries the unmistakable imprint of Arab influence: saffron, raisins, and pine nuts mingle with wild fennel and freshly caught sardines from the Mediterranean Sea. This is not merely a pasta dish — it is a historical document on a plate, illustrating centuries of trade, migration, and culinary creativity.

Wild fennel, foraged from the Sicilian hills, imparts an aromatic note that is unmistakable, complementing the richness of sardines and the sweetness of raisins. Pine nuts add texture and nutty flavor, while saffron gives the dish a delicate golden hue and subtle floral aroma, reflecting the Arab spice trade that transformed Mediterranean kitchens. The finishing touch, toasted breadcrumbs, is affectionately called “the poor man’s cheese,” a practical and delicious substitute in a cuisine born of resourcefulness.

Pasta con le sarde embodies Sicily’s duality: sweet and savory, land and sea, humble ingredients elevated into something extraordinary. It is a dish that reflects how Sicilians took what they had — the bounty of the sea, herbs from the hills, nuts and spices from afar — and created a recipe that is complex, balanced, and unforgettable. Eating it is like stepping back in time: to bustling Palermo markets, the smell of fresh herbs in the morning sun, the sound of fishermen unloading the day’s catch, and the centuries of culinary ingenuity that have shaped the island’s identity.

It is also a dish of storytelling. Every family has their variation, every cook their secret method, whether adding a touch more fennel, a handful of raisins, or a drizzle of olive oil at the end. Pasta con le sarde is a dish of celebration, remembrance, and pride — one that encapsulates the spirit of Palermo and Sicily itself.

Ingredients:

100g spaghetti or bucatini

75g fresh sardines (cleaned, filleted)

¼ large bunch wild fennel (or fennel fronds/dill as a substitute)

¼ onion, finely chopped

12g golden raisins

10g pine nuts

A pinch of saffron threads (optional)

1 tbsp olive oil

Salt & pepper

Breadcrumbs, toasted in olive oil (for topping)

Method:

Blanch the fennel in salted water until tender. Reserve the cooking water. Chop the fennel finely.

Heat the olive oil in a pan, sauté the chopped onion until soft. Add the sardines and cook gently until they melt into the oil.

Stir in the raisins, pine nuts, saffron (if using), and chopped fennel. Simmer for a few minutes.

Cook the pasta in the reserved fennel water until al dente. Drain and toss with the sauce.

Serve topped with toasted breadcrumbs — traditionally called “poor man’s cheese.”