Seafood is very popular in the Wee Pinch of Sugar Kitchen and Seafood Week has been a great opportunity for sharing new ideas about cooking with fish. The Fish is the Dish website has been a hive of activity with tips on how to cook fish, recipes and some fantastic competitions.
On days when I don’t have fresh fish available, one of my favourite go to dishes is a sardine pasta made with tinned sardines. And, although fresh fish would be my first choice; tinned fish is certainly not inferior, the quality is as good as fresh fish, and its just as healthy and also very economical. Depending on your budget, you’ll find a good variety in the shops, including some very good sustainable brands.
I find canned seafood great for making quick and healthy meals. There’s a great selection to chose from including, salmon, tuna sardines and mackerel and you’ll also find these with with added sauces including tomato, lemon, mustard or BBQ. Tinned fish is packed full of health giving nutrients, especially omega 3 (except tuna as the omega 3 is lost in the canning process), which has been shown to have so many health benefits. These healthy fats are good for our brain, our heart and can also have a role in maintaining a normal blood pressure. Health experts currently recommend we eat two serving of fish a week, one of which should be an oily rich fish. So, given that a tin of sardines with soft bones provides around half of an adults daily calcium requirements, it’s definitely worth considering tinned fish as part of your weekly diet.
Seafood Week Day six ‘Fish of the Day’ was sardines and although fresh sardines are in season, this recipe is an healthy and economical dish for packing in some essential omega 3. It’s also ideal as an easy dinner for one or a quick midweek meal for a busy family.
This is one of my go to recipes when I need a quick meal and its one of my favourites for an easy midweek meal.
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Tinned sardines are a great standby to have in the storecupboard and are ideal for whipping up a quick healthy meal. This pasta dish cooks in the time it takes the pasta to cook; ideal after a busy day and so economical, much better than a takeaway. Have the sauce ingredients prepped first and in no time you'll be sitting down to a tasty meal.
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- 400 g dried spaghetti
- 1 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
- 400 g fresh tomatoes chopped tinned tomatoes will also work
- 2-3 Garlic cloves - sliced
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 3 tbsp chopped parsley
- splash of white wine a splash of the pasta water is fine if not using wine.
- 2 tins of sardines in olive or sunflower oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet.
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the tomatoes and garlic and cook gently for 5 minutes until the tomatoes soften.
- Add a splash of wine or water, oregano and 2 tbsp of the chopped parsley. Keep the remaining parsley for scattering over the dish before serving. Continue cooking over a gentle heat for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the sardines and gently fold through the sauce. Turn the heat off.
- Add the drained pasta to the sauce, season and gently toss to combine. Scatter over the remaining parsley and serve.
I’ve also been guest blogging on the Judge Cookware site this week. Pop over to read my tips on buying, cooking and storing fish. https://judgekitchentable.squarespace.com/blog/2017/10/9/fish-tips-from-a-wee-pinch-of-sugar
The sauce for the recipe was cooked in a saute pan from the Stellar Cookware Rocktanium range. The pan was supplied by Stellar and will be part of a future review.