Sardine & Lemon Pasta

📝 Ingredients

• 320 g dried pasta (spaghetti)
• 3 tins of sardines in oil (300 g drained)
• 250 g cherry tomatoes
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 unwaxed lemon (zest + juice)
• 1/2 bunch of fresh parsley (30 g)
• 40 g panko breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Salt, pepper

🍴 Utensils

• Large saucepan
• Large frying pan
• Fine grater
• Colander
• Ladle
• Bowl

📖 Steps

1. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Meanwhile, halve the cherry tomatoes, peel and finely slice the garlic, and chop the parsley. Zest the lemon with the fine grater, taking only the yellow part, then squeeze the juice.
2. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in the large frying pan over medium heat, add the breadcrumbs and stir constantly for 3 to 4 minutes, until golden and smelling of toast. Tip into a bowl with half the zest and a pinch of salt.
3. Add the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook for 1 minute less than the time stated on the packet. Before draining, scoop out a ladleful of cooking water (about 150 ml): it will be used to bind the sauce.
4. In the wiped-out frying pan, heat the rest of the oil over medium-low heat and cook the garlic for 1 minute without letting it colour. Add the cherry tomatoes, cut side down, and cook for 5 minutes, until they soften and release their juices.
5. Drain the sardines, remove the backbone if you like (it's perfectly edible), then add them to the pan, roughly crushing them with a fork. Heat for just 2 minutes: overcooked, they dry out.
6. Add the drained spaghetti to the pan with half the cooking water, the lemon juice, the rest of the zest and the parsley. Toss for 1 minute over medium heat, adding more cooking water if it looks too dry. Season with pepper and taste before adding salt.
7. Divide between plates and sprinkle each portion with the crunchy breadcrumbs at the very last moment, so they stay nice and crisp. Serve straight away.