Linguine with Sardines and Walnuts

Maybe the title of this post should have been The Lonely Sardine.  Believe me, I get it, nobody likes sardines.  At least that’s how my sister feels about the issue.  A few weeks ago, at a family barbeque, I recall her telling one of my cousins not to judge anything based on my tastes since I eat sardines.  That day, there were no fans of the lonely sardine that might have come to my defense.  There must be someone else like me out there somewhere.  Could I be the only one who likes making this little fish the star of my plate?  Alright, so maybe I do enjoy sardines especially the good ones packed in olive oil.  But, you can’t use a cheap mushy disgusting variety then criticize the poor little fish.  They never asked to be packed in mustard or smoked.  If you're going to make this dish, buy a good brand.  For heaven’s sake, even pricey sardines are only about two bucks a can so you might as well splurge.  Oh, and if you do find a couple of oher sardine lovers in your midst you can always increase the amounts in the recipe and make this dish for a crowd. 

Ingredients:

1 can of Sardines (in olive oil)

2 oz Quinoa Linguine

½ small Onion (thinly sliced)

1 clove of Garlic (thinly sliced)

1 Serrano Pepper (thinly sliced)

1 few Tbs Walnuts (Chopped)

Red Pepper Flakes

Parmigiano Reggiano (crumbled the size of your walnuts)

Olive Oil

Salt

Video Tutorial: 

Add about a tablespoon or so of olive oil to a large skillet set it on a medium high burner.  Add the Onion, Garlic and Serrano Pepper to the pan and sauté them for 2-3 minutes or until they just start to brown.  Add the drained Sardines and begin to break them up with your wooden spoon.  Sauté for another minute then push everything to one side of the pan. 

Pour in about one cup of Water and about ¼ tsp of Salt into the empty side of the pan.  Anchovies could work well here in place of the salt.  Place the linguine lengthwise across the center of the pan.  Don’t start stirring them around, rather just use the back of your spoon to gently keep nudged the linguine back and forth to keep them moving as the liquid boils. 

The linguine will need to cook for 7 minutes.  Continue nudging it back and forth to make sure nothing is sticking together.  If at any point the pan becomes too dry looking before the pasta is cooked just simply add a bit more water.  

Once you’ve done this for 5-6 minutes use your spoon to toss the sardine mixture over onto the pasta side of the pan and begin gently stirring everything together until the pasta is cooked to the desired consistency and every strand is nicely coated.

To plate, pile the linguine in the center of your plate, then spoon on the additional the sauce. Sprinkle on the walnuts, the chunks of Parmigiano Reggiano and red pepper flakes.  You could also garnish with parsley and the dish is ready to eat.

Remember if you are Not following a gluten free diet you could just use regular linguine and follow the package instructions.