St. Joseph’s Day is a major feast day celebrated in Sicily where my dad’s grandparents were born. Legend has it that the people of Sicily were suffering through a severe drought in the Middle Ages and prayed to St. Joseph to send rain. They commemorate the coming of the rain each year on March 19, St. Joseph’s Day, which is also the day Father’s Day is celebrated throughout Italy.
To celebrate, my dad’s mom made Pasta di San Giuseppe, St. Joseph’s pasta, each year on that day (aka Pasta con le Sarde (Pasta with Sardines). In her family, the pasta included sardines though many recipes do not. The addition of raisins and saffron reflect the influence of the Arab rule of Sicily in the 10th century. The common ingredient in most pastas in honor of St. Joseph is a topping of toasted breadcrumbs symbolizing the sawdust of the carpenter.
Happy St. Joseph’s Day!
Ingredients:
1/3 cup golden raisins or currants, soaked in 1⁄2 cup hot water
1 pinch saffron added to the raisins in hot water (optional but adds color and a bit of
flavor)
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1⁄2 cup grated parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 cup onion, chopped
1 small fennel bulb, cored and diced, about 1 1⁄2 cups with fronds chopped and reserved 4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 anchovy filets, chopped (optional)
3 (3.75 ounce) cans sardines in olive oil, drained
1 pound pasta (bucatini or thick spaghetti)
Salt and pepper
Directions
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a sauté pan over moderate heat. Add one clove minced garlic but do not brown.
- Add the breadcrumbs and cook, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Remove the crumbs from the pan and toss with the Parmesan, a little salt and black pepper. Wipe out the pan.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente.
- In a large skillet, heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the onions, remaining garlic, and chopped fennel until lightly golden, about 10 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste and anchovies and stir to dissolve. Add about half of the sardines. Lightly break up the sardines. Add the raisins and saffron along with their water. Season with salt and pepper. Cook the mixture for about 5 minutes.
- Drain the pasta, reserving some of the cooking water. Add the drained pasta to the sardine mixture in the skillet along with ½ cup pasta water. Stir pasta well to coat with the sauce.
- Continue to add some of the reserved pasta cooking water if the sauce is too dry. Gently stir in the remaining sardines along with the chopped fennel fronds. Cook briefly just enough to heat the added sardines. Serve pasta topped with toasted breadcrumbs.
Pasta di San Giuseppe (St. Joseph’s Day Pasta)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup golden raisins or currants soaked in 1/2 cup hot water
- 1 pinch saffron added to the raisins in hot water
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 4 tbsp olive oil divided
- 1/3 cup pine nuts toasted
- 1 cup onion chopped
- 1 small fennel bulb cored and diced, about 1 1/2 cups with fronds chopped and reserved
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 anchovy filets chopped (optional)
- 3 (3.75 ounce) cans sardines in olive oil drained
- 1 pound pasta bucatini or thick spaghetti
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a sauté pan over moderate heat. Add one clove minced garlic but do not brown.
- Add the breadcrumbs and cook, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Remove the crumbs from the pan and toss with the Parmesan, a little salt and black pepper. Wipe out the pan.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente.
- In a large skillet, heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the onions, remaining garlic, and chopped fennel until lightly golden, about 10 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste and anchovies and stir to dissolve. Add about half of the sardines. Lightly break up the sardines. Add the raisins and saffron along with their water. Season with salt and pepper. Cook the mixture for about 5 minutes.
- Drain the pasta, reserving some of the cooking water. Add the drained pasta to the sardine mixture in the skillet along with ½ cup pasta water. Stir pasta well to coat with the sauce.
- Continue to add some of the reserved pasta cooking water if the sauce is too dry. Gently stir in the remaining sardines along with the chopped fennel fronds. Cook briefly just enough to heat the added sardines. Serve pasted topped with toasted breadcrumbs.
