Quick Sardine Pasta Recipe (5 Ingredients, 25 Minutes)

Name: My 5-Ingredient Pasta Is the Ultimate Pantry Meal
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 5 cloves garlic, minced; 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes; 2 tablespoons capers; 1 pound dry pasta; 2 (4-ounce) tins sardines packed in olive oil, drained; Chopped fresh basil or parsley, to garnish, optional

I used to turn my nose up at sardines. Like so many people, the thought of them just never appealed. Then, I went to Portugal on my honeymoon and realized there was nothing to be afraid of. The tinned fish is commonplace there, and after I finally gave in and tried it, I was pleasantly surprised by how much it reminded me of tuna: mildly briny and savory, but so much more flavorful, with a nice, meaty texture. I was converted.

These days, my pantry is always stocked with sardine tins, which sit right next to my tins of tuna and anchovies, ready to be turned into quick meals. This five-ingredient pasta is one of my favorites.

A plate of pasta with a tomatobased sardine sauce and a fork and spoon in the pan — Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

Shop Your Pantry

You only need a tin of sardines, a can of tomatoes, a handful of capers, lots of garlic, and a box of pasta to make this simple dinner. Capers bolster the brininess of the sardines and add an extra pop of salty flavor to the simple tomato sauce. The garlic-spiked sauce simmers as you boil the pasta and it’s all tossed together and on the table in about half an hour.

For the pasta, use whatever shape you have on hand. My favorites include the classic and foolproof spaghetti, and other long shapes like linguine and bucatini. Short, tubular pastas like penne and rigatoni are great, too, since they catch the sauce so well.

Platter of sardine pasta garnished with herbs served on a decorative dish — Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

Easy Recipe Tweaks

Because of this recipe's simplicity, there are lots of ways to play with it and make it your own:

Add a pinch or two (or three) of red pepper flakes to the sauce if you like some spice. Or stir in a little Calabrian chile paste.
No can of crushed tomatoes handy? Use canned whole tomatoes and crush them by hand.
Swap the capers for any variety of olives, which deliver a similar briny, salty punch.
Instead of sardines, use oil-packed tuna—it’s equally tasty.

Plate of spaghetti with sardines garnished with herbs and olives — Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

Quick Sardine Pasta

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 25 mins

Servings 4 to 6 servings

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Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons capers
1 pound dry pasta, such as spaghetti, linguine, or bucatini
2 (4-ounce) tins sardines packed in olive oil, drained
Chopped fresh basil or parsley, to garnish, optional

Boil water:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
Make the sauce:

While the water comes to a boil, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until very fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and capers, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened, about 15 minutes.
Cook the pasta:

When the water boils, add the pasta and cook for 1 minute less than the package instructions for al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
Combine:

Add the drained pasta and sardines to the pan with the tomato sauce and toss to combine, breaking up the sardines in the process. As needed, add a splashes of the reserved pasta water to loosen the pasta. Continue to toss until the pasta is well-coated in the sauce and al dente, about 1 minute.

Serve garnished with parsley or basil, if using.

This pasta is best enjoyed fresh from the pan because of the sardines, but if you do have leftovers, they can be refrigerated for a day or two in an airtight container and reheated on the stovetop over medium-low heat. Add a splash or two of water when reheating it to help loosen the sauce. Alternatively, feel free to cut the recipe in half to avoid leftovers.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
451	Calories
12g	Fat
67g	Carbs
20g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories	451
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12g	15%
Saturated Fat 2g	8%
Cholesterol 44mg	15%
Sodium 462mg	20%
Total Carbohydrate 67g	24%
Dietary Fiber 5g	18%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 20g
Vitamin C 13mg	65%
Calcium 184mg	14%
Iron 5mg	29%
Potassium 690mg	15%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.