The bigoli with sardines, or "bigoli in salsa", are a typical dish in the gastronomic tradition of Lake Garda.
Si possono degustare in tutti i paesi che si affacciano sul lago e, in passato, erano consumati soprattutto durante il Venerdì Santo o alla vigilia di Natale.
Ingredients for 4 people
As with the preparation of any dish, the ingredients are the most important part.
In this case we will see what ingredients are needed to prepare our bigoli with sardines:
- 400 gr (0,88lbs) of bigoli (meglio se freschi);
- 300 grams (0,66lbs) of sardine fillets in salt or in oil (ideal would be the sardines fished during the summer in Lake Garda e poi messe sotto sale);
- 5 pomodorini (ciliegini o datterini);
- 1 o 2 spicchi d’aglio (dipende dalle dimensioni);
- prezzemolo;
- sale;
- pepe;
- olio extra vergine di oliva.
Preparazione dei bigoli con le sarde
Start preparing Bigoli with Sardines by boiling the water, while remembering to adjust the amount of salt depending on the type of sardines we are going to use; salted sardines, despite being washed under running water, tend to have a stronger taste than those in oil.
Next, remove the excess salt from the sardines by washing them under running water. Then remove the scales (if still present) and as many bones as possible, and cut the fish into small pieces.
At this point we add the extra virgin olive oil in a pan, the sardines in small pieces and let everything cook over medium heat, without frying the content of the pan, until the sardines have completely melted.
When the sardines are ready, add our chopped cherry tomatoes, finely chopped garlic, parsley, salt and pepper, and leave to cook over a low heat for another 2 minutes.
Now that the sauce is ready we are going to put our bigoli in the pan after draining them of the water, stirring the sauce and pasta for a few moments. We can then decorate the dish with a cherry tomato and parsley, before serving it paired to a Lugana Terrenegre.
