FOOD NEWS
Add Canned Sardines To Any Pasta For An Umami-Packed Bite
BY JULIA HOLLAND
Canned fish has become an accessible, diverse, and easy ingredient to add flavor to dishes. Canned sardines, especially, are the perfect addition to any pasta.
They are softer than fresh sardines with a saltier, fishier flavor. Their umami-rich, salty profile will complement oil, tomato, and cream-based sauces while providing tenderness.
Canned sardines can be from fishier-tasting wild-caught sardines or more buttery, tame farmed sardines. The type you choose varies drastically depending on preservation.
Brine-packed sardines will add a fishy salty zing, oil-packed sardines impart a blend of earthy and umami, and smoked tinned sardines provide a smoky, savory, and salty flavor.
Try adding canned sardines to an oil-based sauce of peppers, dill, and toasted almonds, or in a cream-based pasta sauce. You could also use the oils in a tomato sauce.