Ziti with Sardines, or Ziti con le Sarde: This recipe is from the Marche, and is one of the few the fishermen used to eat: The fishermen who went out to get the catch did not eat much fresh fish, but rather subsisted on dried octopus and cod, and salted anchovies and sardines. In other words, they sold the choicer elements of their catch, and preserved whatever remained for days when it was too rough to leave port.

See Also

Other recipes from the Marche

Ingredients

• 1 pound (400 g) ziti
• 5 salted sardines, rinsed, boned, and broken up
• 1 pound (500 g) tomato pulp (either blanch, peel, and seed 1 1/4 pounds plum tomatoes, or use a can of chopped tomatoes)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• A shredded hot pepper (green if possible, as it will be milder and larger than a red pepper)
• Salt

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes

• Total Time: 40 minutes

Preparation

Incidentally, ziti were sold by weight from large bags until the mid-sixties in Southern Italy. Some people's budgets were such that they bought day-to-day; I remember watching people buy 50 grams (about a quarter cup) of tomato paste in Tuscan delis in the 60s. The deli person would take the paste from a large can in the display case, weigh it out on a sheet of waxed paper, fold up the paper, and give the client the packet.

Returning to these ziti, the above ingredients will serve 4.

Set pasta water to boil.

Next, sauté the crushed garlic, sardines, and hot pepper until the garlic is lightly browned. Fish out and discard the garlic, stir in the tomatoes, and simmer the sauce, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes, during which time you should salt the pasta water when it reaches a boil and then cook the pasta.

Drain the pasta and transfer it to a bowl, pour the sauce over it, and serve with a crisp white wine.