PASTA WITH SARDINES .

INGREDIENTS: for 6 servings 14 oz. Bucatini (hollow spaghetti); 1- ½ lbs fresh sardines; 3 small farmer fennels; 1 onion; 1 small bag of saffron; 1 oz. Butter; ½ cup dry white wine; 2 oz. Of fillets of anchovy in oil; ½ glass of extra virgin olive oil; 2 tablespoons of pine nuts; 2 oz. Raisins; 2 oz. Blanched almonds; ½ cup bread-crumbs; Salt; pepper.

PREPARATION Clean and wash the wild fennel; then boil in abundant salty water. Strain reserving some of the water and shred finely. Bone the sardines, and flake them.

Slice the onion and brown in a saucepan with the oil and the minced anchovies.

Add the pine-seeds, the raisins (which must have been soaked in warm water and then squeezed), the wild fennels and the sardines. Mix, sprinkle with some wine, add salt, pepper and the saffron dissolved in ½ glass of lukewarm water.

Let the juice thicken, combine the ingredients, keep warm Let the juice thicken, combine the ingredients, keep warm . Cook the bucatini in the reserved vegetable water; cook firm to bite, drain and toss in the saucepan with the seasoning.

Transfer the pasta to a baking pan, buttered and sprinkled with bread-crumbs , spread the chopped almonds and bits of butter and bake for about 20 minutes. The pasta with sardines flan is excellent also served warm.