You don't have to be Italian to celebrate the holidays in the most delicious way ever: The Feast of the Seven Fishes! I've got an easy and delicious recipe that'll be perfect for Christmas Eve, or really any old day of the week!
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Traditionally, the Feast of the Seven Fishes is celebrated by Italian-Americans on Christmas Eve by enjoying a feast of seafood. BUT, not everyone celebrates Christmas and obviously not everyone is Italian-American so I would like to invite literally every single person to take part in this delicious feast! Lets not discriminate, we all deserve to stuff our faces with seafood and pasta.
It's no secret that I'm a serious pasta lover. My Instagram is littered with pasta photos and that's me practicing restraint! There are A LOT more photos of pasta hanging out in my camera roll. Among alllll that pasta, it's the seafood pasta dishes that are always my favorite. Not only are these dishes SO delicious but they're usually the easier ones to make. This dish is no exception.
The best part of this recipe is the fried caper gremolata. Since any Italian will tell you that seafood and cheese don't mix (although, I OCCASIONALLY break that rule. Sorry Dad.) the gremolata will act as a replacement for the cheese. You'll see that not everything needs cheese—shocking, I know—and the garlicky breadcrumbs, lemon zest, fresh herbs and fried capers make the perfect substitute.
So join me in the holiday tradition of eating all the carbs and all the seafood, will you? You won't regret it and we'll all hit the gym in January, right? Happy Holidays!
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Linguine with Sardines and Fried Caper Gremolata
Ingredients
Fried Caper Gremolata
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- ⅓ Cup capers drained
- ¾ Cup panko breadcrumbs
- ⅓ Cup fresh parsley roughly chopped
- 3 Tablespoons fresh dill chopped
- 1 Teaspoon lemon zest
- Kosher salt to taste
For the pasta
- 1 Pound linguine
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Can of sardines packed in oil
- 2 Cloves garlic minced
- 1 Teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ Cup dry white wine
- ½ Cup reserved pasta water
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add linguine and cook for one minute less than the package directions for al dente.
- Make the fried caper gremolata. In a large pan, heat the olive oil along with a few drops of the oil from the can of sardines and add the capers to the pan. Cook the capers for about 3 minutes or until they have "blossomed". They should be darker in color and have opened up a bit. Remove the capers with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel to drain.
- In the same pan, add the panko breadcrumbs and a pinch of salt. Toast the breadcrumbs, stirring constantly, until golden brown. About 5 minutes. Pour the breadcrumbs into a bowl and add the drained capers, parsley, dill and lemon zest. Set Aside.
- Make the pasta. Add the olive oil to the pan and the sardines with their oil. Break the sardines up in the pan. When the sardines start to brown. add the garlic and red pepper flakes and stir for about 1 minute.
- Add the wine to the pan, stir, and let it cook down for about 2 minutes.
- Add the pasta to the pan along with the reserved pasta water. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook down until the desired "sauciness" is reached.
- Divide the pasta between four bowls and top with the fried caper gremolata.
- Enjoy!
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