Portuguese sardine pasta with lemon, capers and chili peppers

This is a light, tasty and heart-healthy dish. It will take approximately 20 minutes to make.

INGREDIENTS

• 250 gr of your favorite Spaghetti pasta
• 1/4 cup minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons of lemon peel
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed chili flakes or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 1 package Papa Anzois or Minerva sardines with chili and olive oil (not drained)
• 3 tablespoons of canned capers
• 5 tablespoons lemon juice or to taste
• 3 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley or basil
• additional chili pepper to taste

Method of preparation

Cooking pasta:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook according to package directions until slightly firm but cooked through. Drain the pasta, but reserve some of the cooking water - you may need it to thin the sauce.

Preparation of garlic and chili pepper:

Heat a little olive oil in a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped garlic and cook until golden and fragrant. Add the crushed chilli flakes and lemon zest, then cook for a further 1-2 minutes to infuse the flavours.

Adding sardines and capers:

Add the undrained sardines to the pan with the garlic, along with the olive oil and chili pepper from the package. Mash them gently with a fork to break them up into smaller pieces. Add the canned capers and mix everything well.

Sauce Seasoning:

Add lemon juice and season with salt to taste. If the sauce seems too thick, you can add some of the pasta cooking water to thin it out.

Mixing the pasta with the sauce:

Add the cooked spaghetti to the pan with the sauce. Mix all the ingredients well so that the pasta is coated with the sauce.

Finishing touches:

Garnish the dish with chopped fresh parsley or basil. If you want more spiciness, you can add extra chili pepper.

Serving:

Serve hot with freshly squeezed lemon juice on the side so everyone can customize the dish to their liking.

Delicious!

Note: to prepare the dish you will need: a large casserole, a frying pan, as well as a large pot for cooking pasta.