Mediterranean Sardine Pasta with Lemon, Capers and Chili Flakes – Easy, Delicious and Heart Healthy Meal
Sponsored by Season Sardines.
In this healthy recipe, pasta plays host to a bounty of coastal Mediterranean flavors. Sardines, fresh lemon juice, capers, chili flakes, and olive oil combine to create a flavorful pasta dish. Most of the ingredients are probably already in your pantry or fridge. The result is a light yet filling, nourishing entree.
When Season Sardines contacted me about their tasty line of sustainably harvested sardines, my mind immediately drifted to pasta. Cooking up a quick batch of delicious Mediterranean Sardine Pasta sounded like the perfect way to celebrate sardines!
Season is committed to sustainable fishing. As a girl who grew up fishing the Central Coast of California, this is super important to me. They are proudly certified sustainable by Friend of the Sea, an international nonprofit organization that certifies products from sustainable fisheries and aquaculture. Season Sardines are wild caught with methods that don’t impact the seabed and eliminate by-catches.
Sardines are currently in the spotlight for their health qualities and sustainability. However, Season Sardines have actually been around for decades. A Polish immigrant named Isaac Epstein inspired the brand. His career began over 80 years as a food merchant, selling his specialty food products to grocery stores in New Jersey and New York. The brand’s reputation as a seller of high quality canned sea food, specialty vegetables and Asian products began to take off around the 1950s. Over time Season brand became a household name in big cities like Chicago, Los Angeles and Miami. Today you can find Season products throughout the US and several other countries, including Canada and Argentina.
This Mediterranean Sardine Pasta with Lemon, Capers and Chili Flakes is easy, comforting, and good for you. In addition to being tasty, sardines are a great source of protein. In fact, they contain more protein than chicken breast, hard boiled eggs, and roast turkey. Likewise, they’re rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Sardines for the win!
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Sponsored by Season. Thank you for supporting my sponsors, they allow me to share more free recipes and cooking tutorials with you!
Sardine Pasta with Lemon, Capers and Chili Flakes
Ingredients
- 8 oz angel hair (capellini) or spaghetti pasta
- 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup shallots minced
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes spicy - use more or less to taste
- 1/2 tsp salt or more to taste
- 1 package Season Brand Sardines in Pure Olive Oil, drained 4.375 oz
- 3 tbsp capers rinsed
- 5 tbsp lemon juice or more to taste
- 3 tbsp fresh parsley or basil chopped
Notes
Instructions
- Set a large pot of water over high heat to boil (this will be your pasta cooking water). Meanwhile, in a large sauteuse, sauté pan, or skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Once the olive oil is hot, add the shallots, lemon zest, crushed red pepper and salt. Cook until the shallots are soft and translucent (careful, don't let them burn!).
- Add the sardines and capers to the pan. Saute for about 2 minutes until warmed through, breaking up the sardines into smaller pieces as you sauté.
- When the sardines begin to turn golden, slowly stir in the fresh lemon juice. Turn heat to lowest setting to keep warm while you cook your pasta.
- When pasta water boils, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving a cup of the pasta cooking water.
- Add the cooked pasta and fresh chopped parsley or basil to the pan with the sauce (alternatively, you can put the pasta back in the large pasta pot and pour the sauce over it). Toss pasta to evenly coat with sauce, mixing well with the other ingredients. If the pasta seems too dry, add a little of the reserved pasta cooking water, 1 tbsp at a time, to loosen it a bit. It should not be thick or heavy, and the noodles should be lightly coated with oil.
- Add additional salt, lemon or chili pepper flakes to taste, if desired. Serve hot.
Nutrition
Other Great Recipe Ideas
Mediterranean Vegetable Polenta
Healthy Mediterranean Tuna Salad
Sippity Sup: Sardine Sandwich with Horseradish Cream
Leite’s Culinaria: Sardine Pizza
Denise W. says
This recipe was simple, quick and delicious to make! My husband gave this a two-thumbs-up review. I doubled the recipe and shared with my in-laws. They LOVED it! The individual ingredients could be tasted, yet they all melded together. This is definitely a new favorite!!!
Can I substitute with sardines canned in water? Does this affect the flavor?
THANK YOU!!
Nathan Kang says
OMG!!! This recipe is amazing!! Now I know that I will be able to endure a lockdown in good taste with my supply of sardines and pasta. LOL.
Linda walls says
Really good, even w water-packed wild salmon at Joe’s. I didn’t have capers but seemed not to matter, yum, thx!
Anna says
Love this dish. It was a usual Friday night starter in my Italian Catholic household. I usually pass around some toasted fresh breadcrumbs (no cheese with fish) to sprinkle over each dish (to taste of course). I occasionally have used anchovies rather than sardines because that just happened what I had on hand in an unplanned moment of making this because I yearn for it and for the memories it evokes from my girlhood in mama’s house. Thanks for reminding me of happy times, oh so long ago.
Abby says
This is such an easy delicious dish. I make it at least once a week and it is always satisfying.
Tori Avey says
Happy you’re enjoying it Abby!
Alicia says
Tori, would you recommend lightly smoked or another kind of sardines?
Would herring be good too? If so pickled or in sour cream or some other version?
I’m new to this but I’m trying to up my omega 3 fatty acids with food rather than capsules and want to love this recipe like the other reviewers.
Tori Avey says
I usually use simple sardines packed in olive oil. Smoked would be nice! Herring would work if it is scaled and boned – herring fillets packed in oil with salt will work great. I wouldn’t use the sour cream or marinated versions of herring in this particular recipe.
Jennifer says
Just made it tonight for Father’s Day. Daddy loves it. This is a refreshing dish for the summer.
DG says
I liked it! The caper flavour was a little strong at first, but then it mellowed. I added peas just ’cause and used 2 cans of sardines instead of 1 because it seemed like it was a load of pasta for very little fish. I also used the oil from the sardines to cook up the onion (3 tbsps instead of the called for 6).
Hanna says
I made it tonight and it was delicious. Will make it again for sure. Thanks.
Rob L says
Hi. Is there a reason to not use the oil that the sardines are canned in?
Tori Avey says
Yes, just know it will add a lot more fish flavor to the dish overall.
Z.Monkey says
Wow, this is awesome I love Fishy Noodles…
I just happen to have the same brand of Sardines, and totally love them…
Egg Noodles, some Veggies, Olive Oil, and Fishies, maybe some Fish Sauce…
Uh Uh Uh, Unctuous… LOL!
Chris says
This was delicious and very easy. I had a can of sardines in the cabinet and some spaghetti. No shallots so I used green onions and a little minced garlic. Threw in a few yummy mushrooms and a little asparagus that was all lonely in the fridge while cooking the onions and I added a few cut up grape tomatoes and a bit of fresh greens at the end, tossing just enough to warm them. Thanks for the great recipe.
Lisa says
This was delicious! Quick and easy. Thanks!
Andrea says
I wonder how this would translate by using good quality, packed in oil Italian tuna? The reason I’m asking is because we are “sheltering in place” and I don’t have sardines in my pantry but I do have the tuna and all the rest of the ingredients. Think I’ll give it a try.
Tori Avey says
I think it would probably turn out great!
Major says
Can you use chopped green olives to replace the capers?
Tori Avey says
Sure! I would prefer a more buttery green olive like Castelvetrano, or ripe green olives, but any variety you like will do. I’ve made this sub myself in the past, it works great. 🙂
Sarah B says
Fantastic!
I made this for dinner tonight (added some garlic & topped with steamed spinach) and it was delicious! Husband said this is one of his new favorite pasta dishes. Incredibly flavorful and satisfying. Thank you so much for sharing! We’ll definitely be making this again.
Village Bakery says
Great recipe, Tori. I love sardines and am trying to introduce them to my kids. Made this tonight and they actually liked it!
Linda Walls says
Tonight we tried your delicious sardine pasta butt with alternative pasta made from organic red lentils as am reducing grains – &yum, thx!
Marissa Granados says
Quick, simple, de-lish! Instant family favorite.