Pasta With Fennel And Sardines

• 2 packed cups mixed greens of fresh fennel fronds, dillweed and a few ground fennel seeds - use 1 bushy bulb fennel top with 1 bunch fresh dillweed - (see notes)
• Coarse (kosher) salt
• 2 tablespoons currants
• 1 piece sun-dried tomato, cut into small bits, optional
• 2 pinches pulverized saffron in 1/4-cup hot water
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onions
• 7 anchovy fillets, drained, rinsed and cut up
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts
• 1/4 teaspoon powdered fennel seed
• 2 4-ounce cans boneless sardines packed in olive oil, preferably Italian, French or Portuguese. or 12 fresh sardines (see notes)
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 pound hollow spaghetti, maccheroncini, bucatini or perciatelli

1. Wash the bulb fennel tops, and cut off hard parts of the stalks and the tougher sprigs.
2. Save bulb for some other dish.
3. Cook fennel tops and dill in three quarts salted water until tender, about 15 minutes.
4. Scoop out fennel and dill, and set aside.
5. Reserve fennel cooking water for cooking the pasta and moistening the sauce as it cooks.
6. Soak currants (and tomato, if used) in saffron-tinted hot water for 10 minutes.
7. In a wide, heavy skillet, gently cook the onions in the olive oil until they are soft and golden.
8. Add the anchovies and crush them with the back of a fork.
9. Cook one minute.
10. Remove from heat.
11. Roughly chop the fennel and dill (this can be done using the metal blade of a food processor and the on/ off button).
12. Place the chopped fennel and dill, currants, tomato if used, soaking liquid, ground fennel seed, pine nuts and one-half cup of the reserved fennel cooking water in the skillet.
13. Simmer, stirring, for two minutes to blend flavors.
14. Fold in the sardines, crushing a few of them into the sauce.
15. If sauce seems too dry, add a few tablespoons of the fennel water.
16. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and set aside.
17. Makes about two cups and can be prepared to this point in advance.
18. Twenty minutes before serving, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
19. Cook the pasta in the reserved water and boil until barely tender.
20. Drain pasta; toss with half the sauce and arrange in a baking-serving dish.
21. Spread the remaining sauce on top.
22. Cover with foil and set in the oven for five minutes.
23. Serve very hot.
24. Pass a cruet of olive oil.

mixed greens, salt, currants, tomato, saffron, olive oil, onions, anchovy, nuts, powdered fennel, olive oil, freshly ground pepper, maccheroncini

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1004 (may not work)