Sardines in a Fennel-Spiked Tomato Sauce: Sarde alla Marinara
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for pan
- 2 cups canned tomatoes, coarsely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds, lightly crushed
- Salt and pepper
- 1 1/2 pounds fresh sardines, cleaned
- 1 tablespoon bread crumbs
- 1/3 cup dry white wine
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- In a saucepan over medium-low heat, gently saute the onion in 3 tablespoons of oil until soft and golden but not beginning to brown.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, or until most of the juice has evaporated and the tomatoes have reduced to a thick jam.
- Stir in about half of the fennel seeds and add salt and pepper, to taste.
- Use a little more oil to grease an oven dish large enough to hold the sardines in 1 layer.
- Add all but 1/3 cup tomato sauce and spread it over the bottom of the dish.
- Arrange the fish on top of the tomato sauce in 1 layer.
- Sprinkle a little salt, the bread crumbs, and the remaining fennel seeds on top of the fish.
- Drizzle on the wine, then dot with the remaining tomato sauce.
- Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
onion, extravirgin olive oil, tomatoes, fennel seeds, salt, fresh sardines, bread crumbs, white wine
Taken from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/mario-batali/sardines-in-a-fennel-spiked-tomato-sauce-sarde-alla-marinara-recipe.html (may not work)