PASTA WITH SARDINES, SPINACH AND PINE NUTS

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PASTA WITH SARDINES, SPINACH AND PINE NUTS

A grown-up pasta dish that's perfect for a midweek supper and a great way to sneak some green onto kids' plates!
Pasta with sardines, spinach and pine nuts


Like most people, I usually have a tin of sardines lurking somewhere in my kitchen, which I always use as a topping for toast when I need to eat and run. Sardines are a great source of protein, those all-important omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamin B12. I've had fresh sardines on the barbecue, but I've never thought of using tinned sardines for cooking. 

 However, after coming back from holiday following an exhausting ten-hour drive from one end of the country to the other, I stared despondently at the bare cupboards, hoping to be inspired by the few ingredients gracing the shelves.  These included pasta (of course), a single tin of sardines and, bewilderingly, some pine nuts that I didn't remember buying. I also had half a bag of spinach in the freezer, and hey presto, all the makings of a delicious dinner that was welcome after all the decadent holiday food we had indulged in. Washed down with a glass of chilled white wine, this dish of pasta with sardines, spinach and pine nuts is set to become a firm favourite in our home! 

PASTA WITH SARDINES, SPINACH AND PINE NUTS

Ingredients (serves 4)

 350g Farfalle pasta
150g frozen spinach leaves
40g + 10g pine nuts
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 tin of sardines in olive oil (approx. 70g)
Pinch of chili powder

 1. Boil a saucepan of salted water and cook the pasta.
2. Meanwhile, drain the sardines and set aside the olive oil. Use the olive oil to gently fry the onion and garlic.
3. Add the chili powder and stir well.
4. Add 40g of pine nuts to the onion and garlic and stir for a few minutes.
5. Add the lemon juice to the onion, garlic and pine nuts, and stir well.
6. Flake the sardines and add them to the pan, and stir well.
7. When the pasta is almost cooked, add the frozen spinach to the saucepan and stir.
8. Drain the pasta and spinach, then add to the pan of onion, garlic, pine nuts and sardines. Stir well to ensure all the ingredients are mixed together.
9. Add the remaining 10g of pine nuts and leave on the heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

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