Steps

1. Remove the thick stems from the fennel leaves and roughly tear the smaller leaves.
   🕒 07:21
2. Boil the fennel leaves in a pot for about 10 minutes.
   🕒 07:36
3. Chop the boiled fennel leaves.
   🕒 07:48
4. Reserve the fennel boiling water to cook the pasta.
   🕒 07:48
5. Remove the heads and innards from the sardines.
   🕒 02:18
6. Butterfly the sardines. Pull the bones out with your thumb and then slide your finger under the belly bones to remove them.
   🕒 02:36
7. Trim the tails of the butterflied sardines and cut away the dark part of the belly.
   🕒 03:17
8. Remove the dorsal fins from the sardines. The key here is to carefully remove the bones by butterflying for a more pleasant eating experience.
   🕒 03:36
9. Finely chop the prepared sardines. Don't worry if small bones remain; they will become unnoticeable after cooking.
   🕒 05:10
10. Add the fennel boiling water to a pot, add 1% salt, bring to a boil, and cook the rigatoni (80g) for 11 minutes.
    🕒 08:10
11. Heat extra virgin olive oil (to taste) in a frying pan and lightly sauté the chopped onion (50g).
    🕒 08:59
12. Once the onion releases a sweet aroma, add the chopped sardines (8 pcs).
    🕒 09:17
13. Lightly stir-fry the sardines and add the chopped fennel leaves (to taste).
    🕒 11:12
14. Add the pine nuts (10g) and saffron (a pinch) and continue to sauté.
    🕒 11:55
15. Add a little of the pasta cooking water and simmer the sardines and fennel leaves. The fennel's aroma neutralizes the fishy smell of the sardines and enhances their umami.
    🕒 12:29
16. Taste the sauce and add more pasta cooking water if needed to adjust the flavor. The cooking water contains salt, so taste before adding more.
    🕒 13:22
17. Add the cooked rigatoni to the sauce and let the pasta absorb the flavors while still slightly firm.
    🕒 15:41
18. Add a little more cooking water as needed to cook the pasta through and coat it with the sauce.
    🕒 16:37
19. With a little moisture remaining, drizzle in extra virgin olive oil (to taste) and mix everything together.
    🕒 17:12