Choose Your Own Adventure Sardine Pasta

• 2 tablespoons olive oil (or veg oil, or bacon fat, or butter)
• 2 tins sardines (in oil or water)
• 1/2 cup diced shallots (or any type of onion)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1.5 pint cherry tomatoes, halved (or 28 oz can diced tomatoes)
• 12 ounces frozen spinach, cooked according to direction (or fresh greens of any kind)
• 2 tablespoons capers, drained (or good quality olives, chopped)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (or white wine)
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley (optional)
• 1/2 cup toasted bread crumbs (or panko)
• 2 tablespoons melted butter (or olive oil)
• freshley grated parmesan (or other hard cheese)
• 1 pound dried pasta (recommend a rotini or penne type)

1. Bring a pot of heavily salted water to a boil and cook the pasta to 2 minutes before done. While this is going on, make the sauce.
2. In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the sardines (no need to drain unless you want to), mashing with a spoon to break up. Add in garlic and onion and saute until soft - about 5 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes, spinach, capers, lemon juice and red pepper flakes and continue to cook until the ingredients meld together. If you are using canned tomatoes, do not drain - just add it all in. If you are using fresh greens instead of frozen spinach, just toss them in the sauce uncooked - they will cook down as the sauce cooks. If the sauce gets tight before the pasta is done cooking, add in a bit of the starchy pasta water.
4. Add the pasta and mix together with the sauce. Cover with a lid and cook for another minute or two until the pasta is cooked to your liking. Stir in the fresh parsley and season with salt if needed.
5. Mix together the melted butter with bread crumbs until it resembles wet sand.
6. Serve the pasta topped with bread crumbs and grated parmesan.

olive oil, sardines, shallots, garlic, cherry tomatoes, frozen spinach, capers, lemon juice, red pepper, fresh parsley, bread crumbs, butter, freshley grated parmesan, pasta

Taken from food52.com/recipes/80588-choose-your-own-adventure-sardine-pasta (may not work)