This bright and lemony pasta with sardines is the perfect pantry-friendly weeknight meal clocking in at less than 30 minutes!

Close up of pasta with sardines twirled onto a plate.

This post is sponsored by King Oscar. Thank you for supporting the brands I trust.

 

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Sardine lovers appreciate sardines in their simplest forms, and this recipe allows King Oscar’s Brisling Sardines with Spicy Cracked Pepper to shine. They’re the perfect addition to pasta, packing a nice punch of omega-3 fatty acids along with a bright lemony essense and some peppery notes.

Ingredients

Exact measurements in the recipe card below.

  • Sardines. In this recipe, I specifically used King Oscar’s Brisling Sardines with Spicy Cracked Pepper.
  • Pasta. Any type will do; I used spaghetti here.
  • Arugula.
  • Onion.
  • Garlic.
  • Lemon. We’re using the juice and the zest for this recipe.
  • Salt & pepper.
  • Parmesan cheese.
  • Toasted breadcrumbs.
Overhead shot of package of KO sardines and other ingredients for pasta laid out on marble counter.

How to Make Pasta With Sardines

  1. Cook the pasta as per the instructions on the packaging; set aside.
  2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic, and simmer until tender and fragrant.
  3. Add the drained sardines to the pan and break them down into chunks with a spatula. Simmer until the sardines are warmed up.
  4. Dump the cooked pasta into the pan and toss to evenly distribute the onions, garlic, and sardines. Add the lemon juice and zest, a few handfuls of fresh arugula, grated parm, and a generous amount of cracked black pepper, and continue to toss to evenly distribute all of those flavors; salt as needed.
  5. Finally, sprinkle the toasted breadcrumbs over the pasta. Give it a quick toss, and serve immediately.
Arugula being tossed into pan of cooked pasta.
Pasta stired up in a pan with arugula and toasted breadcrumbs.

About King Oscar’s Sardines with Spicy Cracked Pepper

You’ll never meet a sardine that packs more flavor than King Oscar’s sardines, and these fillets are no exception. They’re hand-packed in top-grade extra virgin olive oil with a punchy mix of black, white, green, and red whole and cracked peppercorns—and tossed into this lemon pepper pasta dish is an awesome way to eat them. It’s also reassuring that these tiny fish are sustainably caught in Norway’s fjords and coastal waters, so you can feel good about the fish you’re eating.

Plate of twirled pasta with package of King Oscar sardines next to it.

Storage & Reheating

  • This pasta can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
  • To reheat, just pop it in the microwave and reheat in increments of 25 seconds until warmed through.

Have You Made This Recipe?

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Other Tasty Sardine Recipes to Try

Lemon Pepper Pasta with Sardines twirled onto a plate with bright green arugula.

Lemon Pepper Pasta with Sardines

This bright and lemony pasta with sardines is the perfect pantry-friendly weeknight meal clocking in at less than 30 minutes!
5 from 5 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 282kcal
Author: Dana Sandonato

Ingredients

  • 6 oz spaghetti
  • 1 can King Oscar Brisling Sardines with Spicy Cracked Pepper, drained See notes.
  • 1 TBSP olive oil
  • 2 cloves of garlic, smashed and thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup finely diced red onion
  • 1 lemon, zested and juiced
  • Grated parmesan or pecorino romano (optional)
  • 3 heaping handfuls or baby arugula
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • A generous amount of cracked black pepper
  • 1/2 cup toasted panko breadcrumbs See notes.

Instructions

  • Cook spaghetti as per the directions on the package; set aside.
  • In the meantime, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, and a pinch of salt, and simmer until tender and fragrant—about 3 minutes.
  • Add the drained sardines to the skillet and flake them into chunks with a spatula or spoon; stir to mix.
  • Once the sardines are just warmed through, which should only take about 2 minutes, transfer the cooked pasta to the skillet; toss to coat. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, parmesan, arugula, and a generous amount of cracked black pepper. Toss again to even distribute the ingredients. Taste, and add salt as needed.
  • Finally, toss in the toasted breadcrumbs. Serve immediately.

Notes

  1. If you can’t find King Oscar’s Brisling Sardines with Spicy Cracked Pepper, you could use other variations, such as the brisling sardines in extra virgin olive oil or Mediterranean style.
  2. To toast breadcrumbs, simply dump the breadcrumbs into a dry pan. Heat the pan on the stove over medium heat, occasionally tossing the breadcrumbs around to prevent burning, until they’re toasty and golden. This should take about five minutes, but keep a close eye on them.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 282kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 10g