Sicilian-inspired pantry pasta
Serves: 2
Prep time: 25 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Toby Scott
Sicilian-inspired pantry pasta
Raid the storecupboard for this Sicilian-inspired pasta using tinned mackerel, sultanas, capers and pine nuts. Golden fried breadcrumbs add a crunchy topping
Serves: 2
Prep time: 25 minsTotal time: 
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Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
615Kcal
Fat
25gr
Saturates
4gr
Carbs
71gr
Sugars
16gr
Fibre
4gr
Protein
25gr
Salt
0.8gr
Abigail Spooner
Abi is our Head of Food. She loves the precision and creativity of baking, turning fridge odds-and-ends into a weeknight pasta, and is always bookmarking new restaurants to try. She's happiest hosting friends around a table overflowing with food (and insisting everyone has seconds) or planning holidays around what to eat.
Abigail Spooner
Abi is our Head of Food. She loves the precision and creativity of baking, turning fridge odds-and-ends into a weeknight pasta, and is always bookmarking new restaurants to try. She's happiest hosting friends around a table overflowing with food (and insisting everyone has seconds) or planning holidays around what to eat.
Ingredients
- 40g sultanas or raisins
- 1½ tbsp olive oil
- 20g fresh breadcrumbs
- 180g linguine or spaghetti
- 1 shallot or small onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- pinch of chilli flakes
- 15g pine nuts or flaked almonds
- 1 x 125g tin mackerel fillets in brine, drained and broken into large flakes
- 20g capers, drained
- 1 tbsp sherry or red wine vinegar
- handful of dill or parsley, roughly chopped
Step by step
- Place the sultanas or raisins in a small heatproof bowl and pour over 50ml boiling water from the kettle. Leave to soak and plump up.
- Heat ½ tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan. Add the breadcrumbs and toast over a medium heat, stirring, until crisp and golden. Season with black pepper and set aside in a bowl.
- Cook the pasta in salted boiling water according to pack instructions.
- Meanwhile, heat ½ tablespoon olive oil in a frying pan. Gently cook the shallot or onion for 3-4 minutes until softened and turning golden.
- Add the garlic, chilli flakes and pine nuts or almonds to the pan and cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring. Stir in the sultanas or raisins (and their soaking liquid), the mackerel, capers and vinegar. Leave to warm through over a low heat.
- Reserve a mugful of the pasta cooking water and then drain. Add the pasta to the frying pan, with just enough of the cooking water to coat, tossing until well combined. Stir through a final ½ tablespoon of olive oil and the chopped herbs.
- Divide between two shallow bowls and scatter over the crispy breadcrumbs to serve.
