Spicy Sardine Pasta! A flavorful spicy Italian tomato sauce with just the right amount of heat made from tinned sardines and basic pantry staples. Here’s to a quick, simple & delicious dinner!

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Post created 12/1/17. Updated 2/26/25.

Spicy Sardine Pasta – An Italian & Spanish Favorite!

The Mediterranean blood in me can’t help but combine sardines with tomato sauce. It’s always a natural go to. This Sardine Pasta is one of my favorite seafood red sauces. 

Fra Diavolo – a spicy Italian sauce – is wonderful with any kind of fish or shellfish. It is often made with shrimp – but sardines are a fabulous way to use to this sauce.

Using tinned sardines also makes this a much quicker recipe. No fussing with shrimp or shellfish, just open up the tins of sardines and toss them with the sauce!

Love fish & seafood! Here are some more recipes you might enjoy! Baked Haddock with Brown Butter, Spanish Seafood Salad & Mediterranean Fish Soup !

All About the Sardine

Sardines. These teeny-tiny fish are extraordinarily underrated.

As Americans, we seem skirmish about the sardine. Everyone loves canned tuna & salmon, yet they turn their noses up at sardines. People have no idea what they’re missing out on!

Many people confuse the sardine with the anchovy. Both are small fish you can find canned whole. The anchovy is a much stronger smelling and tasting fish – still delicious though!

Sardines pack a major punch of flavor and nutrition. They are a tasty fish – but not overwhelmingly fishy. One little can is LOADED with Omega-3 Fatty Acids, plus high in calcium, protein and iron.

Sardines are also far lower in contaminants than many of the bigger fish we eat.

Season Brand Sardines are wild caught & certified sustainable. This is important – not only are some more of the popular fish we eat aggressively over-fished, often there are questions of origins and handling.

Ingredients & Instructions

The sauce for this recipe starts with olive oil, onions, garlic, wine & crushed tomatoes. You’ll be simmering this with herbs, red pepper & seasoning to create a simple & flavorful sauce. The sardines get added in the last 10 minutes of cooking.

The amount of heat in the sauce depends on the amount of red pepper you use. One teaspoon of red pepper has made it just the right amount of spicy for everyone I’ve served. If you like things extra spicy, add a pinch more. Try a half teaspoon of red pepper if you’re not so sure about spicy foods.

Serve with your favorite pasta and a big pinch of parmesan or pecorino romano.

Spicy Sardine Pasta Fra Diavolo is a quick, delicious, flavorful recipe made easy with pantry staples! I do hope you enjoy!

Amanda ♥

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Spicy Sardine Pasta

Amanda

Spicy Sardine Pasta! A spicy Italian tomato sauce with just the right amount of heat made from sardines and pantry staples. Here's to a quick, simple & delicious dinner!

5 from 1 vote

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Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Pasta

Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

  

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• 4 tablespoon olive oil
• small onion chopped
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 3/4 cup white wine I used a pinot grigiot – went great with finished meal
• 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon red pepper dried (note – if you like it spicier, you may want to taste and adjust)
• 1 teaspoon basil dried
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano dried
• 1/2 teaspoon parsley dried
• 3 tins Season Brand Sardines drained (4.375 oz cans – I used boneless in Extra Virgin Olive Oil – use your favorite)
• salt & black pepper to taste
• 1 pound linguine or spaghetti
• pinch parmesan or pecorino romano to serve, optional

Instructions

 

• Heat olive oil in a dutch oven or large skillet.
• Saute onions until translucent, about 10 minutes.
• Add minced garlic, saute for a minute or two.
• Add white wine, scrape pan to deglaze.
• Add crushed tomatoes, red pepper, basil, salt, oregano & parsley.
• Simmer, covered, for 15- 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Taste, add additional red pepper if more heat is preferred.
• Add sardines. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.
• Salt & pepper to taste if necessary.
• Serve over cooked spaghetti or linguine. Top with a big pinch of parmesan or pecorino romano if you prefer. Enjoy!

Keyword fish, pasta, seafood

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