What’s not to love?!!!

Spaghetti with Sardines, Dill and Fried Capers

I came across this recipe in the May 09 issue of Gourmet Magazine. It has all the delicious savory Mediterranean ingredients we love here at the Yellow Door! Even better the recipe comes together quickly and all of these ingredients are really inexpensive; great for a weeknight dinner. I used Goya brand sardines. There are three large fillets in each can. As the recipe suggests I made fresh breadcrumbs from a left-over baguette I had, but any bread would work just fine.

I served this with green salad on the side. Tossing in some steamed broccoli or asparagus would up the veggie quotient in this dish too.

A word of caution! We accidently ate the ENTIRE six-serving dish in one sitting; it is THAT good!!

How Much?
Spaghetti - $2.50
Sardines - $6.00 (2 cans @ about $3.00 each)
Capers (3oz) - $1.99
Fresh Bread Crumbs - $1.00
Fresh Dill - $1.50
Garlic - $0.75
TOTAL - $13.75

Spaghetti with Sardines, Dill and Fried Capers
Yield: Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:
1 pound spaghetti
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup (about 3 - 4oz) drained capers, patted dry
2 cups coarse fresh bread crumbs (from a baguette)
1/2 cup chopped dill
2 to 3 (3 3/4-ounces) cans sardines in olive oil
4 garlic cloves (finely chopped or force garlic through a garlic press)

Preparation:

Cook spaghetti in a pasta pot of well- salted boiling water until al dente.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Fry capers until they "bloom" and are just a shade darker, about 2 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.

Toast bread crumbs in same skillet, stirring, until golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and toss with capers, dill, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.

Add sardines to skillet with their oil (if using 3 cans sardines, discard oil from 1 can) over medium-high heat and add garlic to the skillet. Sauté until sardines are golden in spots around edges, about 2 minutes.

Reserve 1 cup pasta-cooking water, then drain pasta. Add pasta to skillet with cooking water and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Toss until pasta is coated and sauce is slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve topped with seasoned crumbs.

About: Bacon "Fried" in the Oven

Let me tell you about… Bacon Fried in the Oven.

Frying bacon in the oven provides all the put-it-in-and-forget-it convenience of microwave cooking but results in all the crispy, crunchy goodness of pan frying. As an added bonus, with no grease splattered stovetop and counter, clean up is easier.

No real recipe here. Just preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lay bacon out evenly over a cookie sheet lined in aluminum foil. Bake for 20-25 minutes. When done to the desired crispness, drain on paper towels.

A few hits and suggestions:

Cram as much bacon on the cookie sheet as you can. Overlapping a little bit doesn’t affect the outcome since the bacon shrinks as it cooks. Refrigerate (or freeze) leftovers to use on salads, burgers, sandwiches etc.

Before cooking sprinkle raw bacon with crushed dried rosemary and freshly ground back pepper. (YUM)

Fold the edges of the foil up to form a rim to help contain the rendered fat.