Canned Sardines Will Majorly Upgrade Your Bowl Of Pasta

Tuna is the canned fish most people associate with pasta, but did you know that canned tuna was made possible by a sardine shortage? Strange as it sounds now, until 120 years ago the king of canned fish was the sardine, and though it has fallen from the top spot, these oily delicacies can make a sad bowl of noodles into a meal fit for the Mediterranean in two minutes flat.

Fancy canned fish is having a moment. Back in 1999, chef Gabrielle Hamilton caused waves when she opened her now-iconic New York restaurant Prune with a can of sardines with Triscuits on the menu. Now, well-heeled diners are struggling to get a table at Saltie Girl, the Boston restaurant famous for its lobster rolls and canned seafood, and reservations are just as hard to come by at their newly opened spots in LA and London. Home cooks are also getting in on the action — since the 2020 pandemic and supply chain problems reintroduced everybody to the joys of cooking with these shelf-stable canned delicacies, the 2022 Canned Seafood Market Report predicts the market is going to grow 5.9% per year for the rest of the decade.

If you had a rough introduction to sardines in your youth it can be hard to see past that, but this hype train is built on solid foundations. If you give them a chance, canned sardines can be so much more than just a bad memory, especially when it comes to pasta.

According to the "USDA's Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025," Americans only get about half as much of their protein from seafood as the government recommends, on average — so most of us should try to eat a bit more fish. If you're going to eat more fish for dietary reasons, sardines are the way to go. These little fish are absolute nutrition powerhouses. Not only are they a great source of protein — they're also packed with calcium, vitamins D and B12, and, perhaps most importantly, canned sardines contain almost 100% of your required omega-3 fatty acids. Studies show that the high omega-3 content in sardines protects against heart disease and diabetes, and there's a growing body of evidence to support claims that omega-3 helps with cognitive function, both in school kids and over an adult's lifetime.

Beyond the benefits to your health is the fact that canned sardines can make pasta truly delicious in no time at all. They come packed in oil or tomato sauce, which will be infused with great seafood flavor. Simply use whatever's in the can to help sauce your noodles. A squeeze of lemon juice, a few drops of hot sauce, or some fresh herbs would be a great idea to help cut through the fishiness. Because you're not supposed to mix fish and cheese, swap the Parmesan out for garlicky fried breadcrumbs and some lemon zest to get a drool-worthy dish in minutes.