Spaghettoni with Sardines with Lemon, Raisins, and Pine Nut Kernels

• Serves 2
• ½ tin of sardines with lemon
• 160 g of spaghettoni (like spaghetti but thicker)
• 1 red onion
• anchovies, as needed
• 20 g of raisins
• 20 g of pine nut kernels
• 1 sachet of saffron
• a drop of whisky*
• 1 sachet of saffron
• Fennel stalks
• Extra virgin olive oil, salt, and black pepper, to taste

Preparation 

Soak the raisins.  

Stir-fry the chopped onion in extra virgin olive oil and black pepper. Add some anchovies and some whisky and allow to reduce. Cook until the anchovies fall apart, and the onion is very soft.  

Blanch the fennel stalks for a few minutes, drain, allow to cool, then chop up finely and place in a frying pan with the onion. Now, add some lightly flaked sardines, a tablespoon of the sardine olive oil, the pine nut kernels, the drained raisins, the saffron dissolved in a little water, and cook for a few minutes.  

In the same water in which you blanched the fennel stalks, cook the spaghettoni for about two-thirds of the time stated on the packet (about 7 minutes). Drain when they are al dente and continue to cook in the frying pan with the seasoning and a little of the pasta cooking water. Correct the salt as needed. During the last minute, stir in two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.  
 
Serve the spaghettoni with a little of the fennel stalks to taste and extra virgin olive oil.  

*The sweetness of whisky is perfect in this recipe. If you want to replace it, you can use white wine for a more traditional version.