Recipe: Simple Sultry Sooo Good Summer Pasta

with Lemon, Garlic, Anchovy and Sardines (Plus Scroll Down for an Ina Garten Impersonator Who Will Make You Giggle)

Keep me in your thoughts, dear friends,

First off, I so appreciate all the love and support that comes through in this community. Whether you’ve been here since the beginning or are just popping in, thank you.

From my end, je suis un peu débordée de travail (I’m a bit overwhelmed with work). Preparations are ongoing (and crazy-making) for my wine exam which is coming up soon in Bordeaux! Two days of tasting, plus 100 questions in one hour. Ah bon ?!

But with summer finally at the doorstep in France, this week I thought I’d share the recipe for that sultry summer pasta I mentioned last time. It’s perfect for a warm-weather lunch, a weekend on the terrace or dinner with friends. I made it for Monsieur B and one of our favorite neighbors recently and it was a hit.

Summer’s here and so are the roses in our garden in the French countryside, planted two decades ago by my husband’s mother. Also, the sun doesn’t set till après 22h (after 10PM) these days…

The Most Amazing Thing

This silky, delicious dish (aside from that it tastes sooo good) takes only 15 minutes to prepare and you can make the “sauce” while the pasta is boiling.

The key to success with this simple pasta recipe: the best ingredients. Freshly grated parmesan cheese, high-quality tinned fish, and beautiful olive oil to finish.

On Veut Des Commentaires ! (We Want Comments!)

Lemony Spaghetti aux Sardines et aux Anchois (Lemony Spaghetti with Sardines and Anchovies)

Serves 4 for Dinner, 6 for a Light Lunch

INGREDIENTS

• 1 package Spaghetti or Linguine (500g)

• 1 tin Sardines (115 grams, in olive oil)

• 1 tin Anchovies (115 grams, in olive oil)—if you prefer, you can use 2 tins of Sardines instead

• 1-2 cloves Garlic (according to garlicky preference), minced

• Juice of 2 Lemons (if you want it less lemony you could use 1 lemon and add a splash of dry white wine)

• Zest of one Lemon

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil (as needed)

• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

• 1 cup toasted Bread Crumbs (substitute toasted Pine Nuts if you prefer)

• 1 cup Parsley, chopped

PREPARATION

STEP ONE
Set a pot of water to boil and while it’s heating, open up your tinned fish.

I use the fish and the oil from the fish in this pasta and it’s simple and delish. But if the oil your fish is stored in is too salty for your taste, you can separate the fish from the oil, then pat the fish with paper towels to remove some of the salt and substitute your own Extra-virgin Olive Oil. In general though, when mixed with the pasta, you’ll need (and want) that salt to give you the right seasoning.

STEP TWO
Put the pasta into the boiling water and cook according to instructions (generally 8-10 mins for dried pasta). While it’s cooking, in a skillet over medium heat, toast the bread crumbs in olive oil till golden and set aside.

STEP THREE
Using the same skillet over medium heat, tip your fish into the pan along with its oil. Break up the fish with a wooden spoon, then add the minced garlic and let it all warm up gently for a few minutes.

Add in one third of the lemon juice and zest, and one third of the parsley and stir.

STEP FOUR
When the pasta is cooked, drain it (saving 1/2 cup of pasta water) and add the pasta to the pan on medium heat. If your pasta is ready early, just toss it with a little olive oil and keep it on the side. Toss the pasta with the fish, adding in the pasta water to help thicken the sauce. Keep stirring and watch the sauce get silky from the starch. Squeeze in another third of the lemon juice, zest and parsley, plus half the parmesan and bread crumbs. Toss again.

STEP FIVE
Serve the pasta in shallow bowls, topped with the rest of the lemon zest, bread crumbs, parmesan and parsley. If desired, add one last drizzle of good olive oil. I am getting hungry just typing this. Bon appetit !

But wait. Karen, qu’est-ce qu’il faut boire (what should we drink) with this tasty Summer pasta recipe?

For me, the perfect wine for this type of dish is crisp with some forward fruit and minerality to complement the silky texture and the rich flavor of the fish. Avoid big oaky wines in favor of something young and fresh. Ask at your wine shop for one of these:

If you like sauvignon blanc, ask for a young Sancerre.

If (like me) you don’t love sauvignon blanc, be a cool wine kid and ask for a crisp Vouvray or Montlouis (pronouced “voo-VRAY” and “moh-loo-EEE”). Both Loire Valley wines, made from the chenin grape, one of my faves)

If you’re feeling bubbly…skip the prosecco and go for a lesser-known French sparkling Cremant d’Alsace

If you’ve gotta have rosé…sure, you could pop that old reliable Côtes de Provence. OR just to branch out a lil’ bit, you could talk to ton caviste préféré (your favorite wine seller) about a rosé Méditerranée like this one. Méditerranée is an IGP (think of it as a place-name for less fancy but solid wines). Wines with the name Méditerranée can be made in the Rhone Valley, Provence or la Corse (Corsica), all of which are near (or in) the Mediterranean.

And if you’re extra thirsty (and in the US)…spring for my favorite boxed (or sometimes bagged) rosé that I can’t even find in France (I have a suspicion it’s only made for export). I think I almost broke the supply chain for this stuff in Brooklyn during the Pandemic. It’s also a rosé Méditerrannée and is made in Provence from syrah and grenache, two great grapes that go great together.

French wine much?

If you want to learn a bit more about the basics of des vins français (French wines), check out my latest piece for My French Life™ magazine—A (Painless) Beginner’s Guide to Uncorking French Wine, and if you want to listen to me pronouncing French wine words so you can say them on your next trip to France, well viens ici !

Karen Pronounces French Wine Words

Finish with a delightful (lemon) dessert.

Continuing the spirit of lemony goodness, here’s the great Ina Garten with some beautiful ideas (my fave is the Lemon Mousse at four minutes into the video). And below, here’s that really funny guy on Instagram who impersonates Ina Garten and cracks me up. “How fabulous is that?” :-)

isthattomhearn

A post shared by @isthattomhearn

OK friends, sending you sunny warm wishes wherever you are.

Bisous de Paris (Kisses from Paris),

Karen

PS. If you want me to send you a little something from Paris, refer a friend for a free subscription, and check out some of the goodies that may come your way, each chosen by me. Watch the little video below for deets (and to see the exact spot in Paris where I met Monsieur B on our very first date).