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Tinned fish seems to be having its moment in the spotlight and this Sardine Pasta is my favourite way to enjoy tinned sardines! Flakes of canned sardines are served in a rich tomato, olive and caper sauce with gluten free spaghetti for a quick and easy dinner recipe.
Notes On This Easy Sardine Pasta Recipe
- Budget Dinner: Using canned sardines makes this recipe super cheap – you only need 5 ingredients for the sauce alongside the tinned fish and gluten free pasta. And most of them are storecupboard basics you may already have!
- Super Quick: This spaghetti with sardines can be whipped up and on the table in under 15 minutes, making it a midweek dinner winner!
- Nutritional Powerhouse: Sardines are nutrient dense and are rich in Omega 3, creatine, calcium and iron. The latter are super important with coeliac disease!
- Gluten and Dairy Free: This is one of those great dinners which is both gluten and dairy free – just omit the parmesan garnish if you’re avoiding dairy.
Table of Contents
Ingredients and Substitutions
There’s a printable recipe card below for this sardine spaghetti recipe with the full quantities. But here are the main ingredients and ideas for any swaps.
- Gluten Free Spaghetti: Or any pasta shape of choice. I really like the Rummo, Barilla or Garofalo spaghetti, but you can use whatever you like!
- Olive Oil: I would recommend sticking to extra virgin olive oil for this recipe as it adds to the richness of the sauce.
- Tinned Sardines in Tomato Sauce: You can swap for the canned sardines in olive oil instead but the tomato sauce really helps add to the flavour of this dish. You could also use tinned mackerel in tomato sauce if you prefer.
- Garlic
- Chilli: Omit these if you don’t like spice. Add more if you do!
- Capers: If you’re unsure on the texture you can chop these really small, or just omit them, but I find they really add a briny flavour to the sauce.
- Tinned Tomatoes: The finely chopped ones are perfect for this, but any will work.
- Green Olives: Or use black olives if you prefer.
How to Make Sardine Pasta
There’s a printable recipe card below with the method. But here are some step-by-step photos to show you how easy this gluten free sardine pasta recipe is to make.
Storing and Making Ahead
This sardine spaghetti is best eaten fresh – gluten free pasta especially can go hard when cold, and often falls apart when reheated!
If you want to get ahead, you can make the sauce and then just stir into freshly-cooked pasta to reheat.
You can also freeze extras of the sauce to add to cooked pasta for a quick and easy freezer meal!
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Sardine Pasta Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 200 g gluten free spaghetti
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tins sardines in tomato sauce, (I use the 95g tins – use just one tin if you don't like it too fishy)
- 4 tsp chopped garlic
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- 1 tbsp capers, roughly chopped
- 400 g finely chopped, tinned tomatoes
- 50 g green olives, pitted and roughly chopped
- Fresh parsley, to garnish
- Finely grated parmesan, to garnish
Instructions
- Cook the gluten free spaghetti as per the pack instructions in boiling, salted water. I usually find this takes 8-12 minutes (depending on the brand) once added to the boiling water.
- While the spaghetti is cooking, add the olive oil to a large pan and place on a medium heat. Add the garlic and chilli flakes and fry gently for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the sardines in tomato sauce to the pan as well as the tinned tomatoes, capers and olives. Mix well, breaking up the flesh of the fish a bit, and simmer until the pasta is cooked.
- Drain the spaghetti and add to the pan. Mix well and serve garnished with lots of fresh chopped parsley and some parmesan cheese.
Notes
- I like to add 2 tins of sardines between 2 people to up the protein content and also because we just love sardines! If you’re new to eating tinned sardines or aren’t sure how ‘fishy’ you like it, I’d recommend starting with 1 tin and then you can always add more the next time you make this!
Nutrition
Serving Suggestions
Wondering what to serve with this Sardine Pasta recipe? If you want to cook up a feast, why not serve it with some of my favourite gluten free side dishes:
- Gluten Free Garlic Bread
- 2-Minute Rocket Salad
- Gluten Free Oven Chips
- Gluten Free Doughballs
- Air Fryer Chips
More Recipes Using Tinned Fish
I love using tinned fish in recipes because it’s so cheap and easy, and it’s the kind of thing you can always keep in stock ready for a quick dinner! Some of my other favourite gluten free fish recipes using tinned fish include:
- Salmon and Broccoli Quiche – my Mum used to always use tinned salmon in quiche when we were younger, it’s so tasty and it’s way cheaper and easier than buying fresh!
- Gluten Free Tuna Pasta Bake – An absolute nostalgic classic from my childhood! You can’t beat a Tuna Pasta Bake for a cheap and easy meal that everyone will love.
- Tuna Sushi Bowl – Another favourite using canned tuna, these easy sushi bowls make a fantastic lunch, we eat them weekly in our house.
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I love sardines…so I’m definitely going to try this 🙂
Made this for the first time tonight, and I halved the chilli flakes which turned out to be the right call! Not sure my partner would have been able to handle a full teaspoon.
It’s a hearty dish with some bold flavours that complement each other well, it’s quick and easy to cook, affordable and makes a good addition to the week night dinners rotation.