Tinned Fish Pasta with Lemon Garlicky Breadcrumbs
Updated Jul 13, 2024, Published on Mar 07, 2024
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This Tinned Fish Pasta with Lemon Garlicky Breadcrumbs can mostly be considered a pantry pasta. It uses ingredients like panko breadcrumbs, dried seasonings, garlic, dried pasta, and tinned fish to create a simple and flavorful dish. I mixed in a couple fresh ingredients like chopped baby broccoli and some lemon juice/zest to freshen things up.
I had never tried tinned fish until recently, but I am now obsessed with the Fishwife brand of tinned fish! It's high-quality, super flavorful, and they have such unique flavors (like the preserved lemon sardines I used in this dish!)
If you are in your tinned fish era like me, check out some of my other tinned fish recipes!
Tinned Fish Pasta Ingredients
Lemon Garlicky Breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup Panko
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Dried Parsley
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Lemon Zest additional to serve
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
Pasta
- 8 oz Pasta reserve 1 cup of pasta water
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil I used the olive oil from the tinned fish
- 4 cloves Garlic thinly sliced
- 1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes adjust based on spice preference
- 6 oz Baby Broccoli or broccolini; roughly chopped into 1-2 inch pieces
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- 1 tin Sardines I used 1 tin of Fishwife Sardines with Preserved Lemon (about 4 oz)
- 2 tbsp Lemon Juice additional to serve
Recipe Instructions
Lemon Garlicky Breadcrumbs
- In a bowl, mix panko breadcrumbs with garlic powder, dried parsley, salt, pepper, and lemon zest.
- In a pan, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Add the panko breadcrumbs mixture. Cook for 5-10 minutes or until golden brown. Stir often to prevent the breadcrumbs from burning. Set aside for serving.
Pasta
- Cook the pasta to al dente according to package instructions in salted water. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water.
- Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. I used the olive oil from the tinned sardines, but you can use regular olive oil as well. Add the sliced garlic and cook, stirring often for 1 minute. Add the red pepper flakes and cook for another minute, stirring constantly.
- Mix in chopped baby broccoli. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. I like my broccoli to still be somewhat crisp, but cook for longer or shorter based on your preference. Add the lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Add the tinned sardines. I broke the sardines into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon. Transfer over the cooked pasta and a few splashes of pasta water as needed. Mix everything together.
- Divide among bowls to serve. Sprinkle generously with the lemon garlicky breadcrumbs and additional lemon juice and lemon zest as desired.
Did you try this Tinned Fish Pasta with Lemon Garlicky Breadcrumbs? Leave a Review!
This pasta dish is full of pantry staple ingredients and is an amazing combination of salty, acidic, fresh, spicy, and crunchy. Easily customize this recipe with a variety of spices, vegetables, and types of tinned fish.
If you try this recipe, feel free to rate/leave a review. You can also tag me on Instagram or TikTok!
Tinned Fish Pasta with Lemon Garlicky Breadcrumbs
Equipment
Ingredients
Lemon Garlicky Breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup Panko Breadcrumbs
- 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Dried Parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Lemon Zest, additional to serve
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
Pasta
- 8 oz Pasta, reserve 1 cup of pasta water
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil, I used the olive oil from the tinned fish
- 4 cloves Garlic, thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes, adjust based on spice preference
- 6 oz Baby Broccoli, or broccolini; roughly chopped into 1-2 inch pieces
- Kosher Salt & Black Pepper, to taste
- 1 tin Sardines, I used 1 tin of Fishwife Sardines with Preserved Lemon (about 4 oz)
- 2 tablespoon Lemon Juice, additional to serve
Instructions
Lemon Garlicky Breadcrumbs
- In a bowl, mix panko breadcrumbs with garlic powder, dried parsley, salt, pepper, and lemon zest.
- In a pan, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Add the panko breadcrumbs mixture. Cook for 5-10 minutes or until golden brown. Stir often to prevent the breadcrumbs from burning. Set aside for serving.
Pasta
- Cook the pasta to al dente according to package instructions in salted water. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water.
- Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. I used the olive oil from the tinned sardines, but you can use regular olive oil as well. Add the sliced garlic and cook, stirring often for 1 minute. Add the red pepper flakes and cook for another minute, stirring constantly.
- Mix in chopped baby broccoli. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. I like my broccoli to still be somewhat crisp, but cook for longer or shorter based on your preference. Add the lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Add the tinned sardines. I broke the sardines into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon. Transfer over the cooked pasta and a few splashes of pasta water as needed. Mix everything together.
- Divide among bowls to serve. Sprinkle generously with the lemon garlicky breadcrumbs and additional lemon juice and lemon zest as desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
