Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes

Method

Clean the sardines and remove the bones. In a large, deep pan, season the sardines with salt and pepper and sear them on both sides. Once they are partially cooked, remove two thirds of the sardines from the pan and set them aside.

Continue cooking with the remaining one third of the sardines in the pan, adding the fennel seeds, spring onions, chili peppers and fennel. Cook over low heat. When the vegetables soften, deglaze with the white wine. Once the wine has evaporated, gently break up the sardines with a fork and add 500 ml of vegetable stock.

When the stock comes to a boil, add the pasta. If needed, add more stock during cooking. Shortly before the pasta is fully cooked, add the juice of half a lemon, the lemon zest, chives, basil and wild greens. Add the reserved sardines back to the pasta, cover with a lid and leave for three minutes.

Once the pasta becomes creamy, serve with fresh olive oil, the remaining bottarga, parsley and freshly ground pepper.

Wine pairing

Pasta with sardines and bottarga calls for wines with lively acidity, a sense of maritime freshness and clean fruit, capable of balancing the richness of the fish, the intensity of the bottarga, the spiciness and the aromatic elements of the dish.

White wines based on Assyrtiko, such as those from PDO Santorini (ΠΟΠ Σαντορίνη) or island PGI expressions, offer intensity and structure that stand up well to the dish’s salinity. Similarly, high-altitude expressions of Roditis from PGI Slopes of Aigialia (ΠΓΕ Πλαγιές Αιγιαλείας) or PDO Patra (ΠΟΠ Πάτρα) combine freshness and finesse, without overpowering the aromas of herbs and lemon.

Pasta with sardines and bottarga calls for wines with lively acidity, a sense of maritime freshness and clean fruit, capable of balancing the richness of the fish, the intensity of the bottarga, the spiciness and the aromatic elements of the dish.

An excellent choice is also Robola from PDO Robola of Kefalonia (ΠΟΠ Ρομπόλα Κεφαλληνίας), whose characteristic acidity, energy and subtle minerality balance beautifully with both the bottarga and the sardines. Alternatively, a high- altitude Vilana from PGI Crete (ΠΓΕ Κρήτη) offers clarity, freshness and structure that pair harmoniously with the lemony, herbaceous sauce of the dish.