Iana'S Pasta Con Le Sarde - cooking recipe

Ingredients

Sauce:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 bulb fennel - thinly sliced, fronds lightly chopped, stems discarded
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 (4.5 ounce) cans sardines packed in oil
1/3 cup raisins
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 pinch red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (16 ounce) package spaghetti
Mudica (Seasoned Bread Crumbs):
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, or more to taste, minced
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste

Preparation

Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add fennel bulb, fronds, and onion. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic; cook for 1 minute. Add sardines with oil; stir until crumbled. Stir in raisins, pine nuts, basil, fennel seeds, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes; cook until toasted. Pour in tomatoes. Let sauce simmer.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 12 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat oil in another pan over medium heat. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add bread crumbs and basil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
Drain pasta; serve topped with the sauce, seasoned bread crumbs, and Parmesan cheese.