Pasta di San Giuseppe, also known as Saint Joseph's Day Pasta, is a pasta dish featuring sardines and anchovies, fennel, Grana Padano cheese, and a breadcrumb topping meant to resemble sawdust in honor of Saint Joseph. It's a pasta dish full of the flavors of the sea and classic Italia.
For the uninitiated, Saint Joseph's Day is celebrated annually as part of Lent. It's a pasta dish made with fish rather than other meats and enjoyed in honor of Saint Joseph, Jesus' stepfather and husband of Mary.
While traditionally served during Lent, the flavors in this dish make it suitable year-round. I make my version with gluten-free pasta, but those without gluten sensitivity can feel free to make it with traditional pasta.
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Why You'll Love This Pasta di San Giuseppe Recipe
- Simple Ingredients: This recipe uses simple ingredients you can find at any grocery store.
- Easy: It's an easy recipe that even beginners can make.
- Flavorful: The sardines, anchovies, fennel, and Grana Padano cheese create a rich flavor that pops in every forkful.
Pasta di San Giuseppe Video
Ingredients
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This traditional Italian dish is full of delicious, classic flavor. It's a dish full of complex flavor interplay without exotic ingredients.
- Golden raisins
- Water
- Saffron
- Gluten-free panko breadcrumbs
- Olive oil
- Fennel bulb - cored and diced (chop and reserve the fronds)
- Minced garlic
- Tomato paste
- Sardines in olive oil - drained
- Onion - chopped small
- Gluten-free linguine
- Anchovy fillets - chopped
- Vegetable broth
- Pasta water
- Il Villaggio Grana Padano cheese - grated
- Salt and pepper
- Pine nuts - optional
See the recipe card at the end of the post for exact quantities.
Equipment
Variations and Substitutions
- If you aren't gluten-sensitive, feel free to use regular pasta and breadcrumbs.
- Regular raisins will work in a pinch.
- Jarred minced garlic can be used in place of fresh.
If you love pasta dishes, I think you'll enjoy this ground chicken spaghetti.
How to Make This Pasta di San Giuseppe Recipe
Although this recipe is full of complex flavors, it isn't full of complex instructions. It only takes a few minutes and a few simple steps to make it.
1: Soak ½ cup of golden raisins and a pinch of saffron in ½ cup of hot water.
2: Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted, boiling water until it's al dente. Then, drain the pasta, reserving about ½ cup of the pasta water.
3: In a large saute pan over medium heat, cook 1 tablespoon of minced garlic in 2 tablespoons of oil for 30 seconds. Then, add the breadcrumbs and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until golden.
4: Transfer the breadcrumb mixture to a medium bowl and toss with the grated cheese.
5: In the same pan, heat the remaining oil over medium heat. Then, add the onions, remaining garlic, and chopped fennel and saute, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes.
6: Add the tomato paste and anchovies and stir. Then, add half the sardines and break them up slightly with a spatula.
7: Pour in the raisin and saffron water, season with salt and pepper to taste, and cook on medium while stirring for another 5 minutes.
8: Add the drained pasta, ¼ cup reserved pasta water, and vegetable broth. Stir well and continue cooking. If the pasta is too dry at this point, add a little more pasta water.
9: Gently stir in the remaining sardines and chopped fennel fronds, and give it a good stir to heat up the sardines.
10: Top with the toasted breadcrumb and cheese mixture and pine nuts.
Hint
It's important to reserve the pasta water for this recipe. It adds more flavor to the final product and helps the ingredients stick to the pasta.
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers immediately for freshness, flavor, and food safety. Freezing this dish is not recommended.
To reheat the dish, cook it in a saute pan on medium-low until heated through.
Refrigerator: Store in an air-tight container for up to 4 days.
What to Serve with Pasta di San Giuseppe
Pasta di San Giuseppe is a hearty meal whether you serve it for Lent or just because. I like to serve it as is with some gluten-free garlic bread and a nice dessert.
Tips
- Be sure to reserve some of the pasta water for use later. It helps the other ingredients stick to the pasta.
- Stir constantly while cooking your garlic so it doesn't burn.
- Be sure your water is very hot when soaking your raisins so the flavor can really release.
- Break the sardines up just a bit. You don't want them pulverized.
FAQ
Pasta di San Giuseppe, also called St. Joseph's Pasta, is a traditional pasta dish served during Lent on March 19 in honor of St. Joseph, Jesus' stepfather and the husband of Mary. It's made with anchovies, sardines, Grana Padano cheese, and a breadcrumb mixture, symbolizing sawdust because Joseph was a carpenter.
This recipe uses no sauce. All the moisture comes from vegetable broth and pasta water. If your pasta is dry, you just need to add a bit more pasta water.
Sardines have a mild, slightly fishy flavor and a meaty texture.
Anchovies are salty with a pronounced fishy flavor.
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If you love pasta dishes, then give these delicious options a try.
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📖 Recipe
Pasta di San Giuseppe
Ingredients
- ½ cup golden raisins
- ½ cup hot water
- Saffron pinch
- 1 cup Gluten-free panko breadcrumbs
- 4 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 fennel bulb cored and diced
- 2 tablespoon garlic minced
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 3 cans sardines in olive oil 3.75 ounce cans, drained
- 1 onion chopped small
- 12 oz gluten-free linguine cooked al dente
- 3 anchovy fillets chopped
- ¼ cup vegetable broth
- ¼ cup pasta water reserved
- ½ cup Il Villaggio Grana Padano cheese grated
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ⅓ cup pine nuts
Instructions
- In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta until al dente.
- Drain the pasta, reserving ½ cup of the pasta water.
- In a large saute pan over medium heat, combine 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the breadcrumbs and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly until golden.
- Transfer the breadcrumb mixture to a bowl and toss well with the shredded cheese.
- In the same saute pan, heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, remaining garlic, and chopped fennel. Saute, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste and anchovies and stir well. Then, add half the sardines and lightly break them up with your spatula. Then, pour in the raisin and saffron water and season with salt and pepper.
- Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly, for another 5 minutes.
- Add the cooked pasta, ¼ cup of pasta water, and the vegetable broth. Stir well. If the pasta is too dry at this point, add more of the reserved pasta water.
- Continue cooking to heat up the pasta.
- Gently stir in the remaining sardines and chopped fennel fronds. Stir well to heat the sardines.
- Top with the toasted breadcrumb and cheese mixture and the pine nuts and serve.
Notes
- Refrigerate for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
- Freezing is not recommended.
- Cook in a saute pan over medium-low heat until warmed, or microwave individual portions at 1-minute intervals.
- Break up your sardines a bit while cooking them, but don't smash them completely.
- Stir the garlic continuously as it cooks to prevent burning.
- Bring the water to a boil before soaking the raisins to help them plump and release their flavor.
Elizabeth says
This dish has such great flavor. Great family meal and easy to follow!
NKendrick says
Thank you, so glad you enjoyed it!
Kim Beaulieu says
This is such a delicious recipes. My whole family loved it!
NKendrick says
So happy to hear this!
Tina says
My whole family loved this pasta dish! Will be making it again soon.
Katie says
Such a delicious pasta recipe! My whole family really enjoyed it!
NKendrick says
So happy to hear this!