Bigoli with sardines (Bigoli con la sardéla)

4 Serves

200 g. of Garda salted sardines (or salted anchovies)
500 g. of bigoli
extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

Clean the sardines (or anchovies) of bone, head and fins and wash them thoroughly under running water; crumble and make them melt in a pan with plenty of oil that you'll have tokeep at a temperature below the boiling point: the operation is crucial to the success of the dish; the fish should not fry in the oil, but should slowly melt in the heat of the fire. You'll get a very thick cream that you use to season bigoli cooked in moderately salted boiling water. The dish is very salty and it's served with a plenty of red wine...

Curiosity

The "pilchard of Garda" is the shad, a freshwater fish common in large lakes of northern Italy. It lives in numerous flocks stationed in depth during the winter and rise to the surface in late spring to lay their eggs. It can reach a length of 40 cm, but is usually caught when measuring 20-25 cm.