Pesto Pasta Recipe with Sardines | A Light and Easy Summer Dish

This Pesto Pasta Recipe is light, flavorful, and perfect for summer. I am always looking for a quick easy vegetarian dish with lots of protein. Pesto pasta is familiar enough. However, you might be thinking, “Sardines? Really, Amy?”

Italian Inspired

A few years ago we got to travel around Italy. I always love trying local cuisine when possible. At a little local place in Cinque Terre, on the cobblestone streets, a pesto pasta sardine dish was on the menu. I was skeptical at first but when I learned it was a local favorite, decided I had to try it.

I found it surprisingly delicious and not nearly as fishy tasting as I anticipated. In this town, they were known for their lemons and pesto.

Now, years later, I decided to try to recreate it and think you’ll like what I’ve come up with.

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Do Vegetarians Eat Fish?

Some do, and some don’t. We do. Technically it is called a Pescatarian diet.

Fish has been proven to be very healthy for you and not have health problems similar to red meat. It is an excellent source of protein which vegetarians need to make sure we get enough of.

We seek to get fish that is wild-caught and sustainably caught, causing minimal risk to the environment or other animals. I am continually learning more about fish and where it comes from and what fishing styles are safe.

Not all vegetarians eat fish, so if you are having one over for dinner, make sure to check with them before making a fish dish.

Sardines? Really?

I know, I know! This might sound odd. I dragged my feet in re-creating this seaside Italian dish at home. I thought it was an Italian vacation thing and I’d leave it there. But then when I got pregnant, I wanted to make sure I ate lots of protein. I was working with a nutritionist who specialized in pregnancy but was not super excited that I was a vegetarian.

She was glad to hear I ate fish and gave me a list of the top ones for pregnancy. You guessed it! Sardines was high on that list. (Tuna was low on the list because of all the mercury they can carry)

One can of sardines (roughly 3 oz sardines) has 17 grams of protein. And you know what?! They are not nearly as “fishy” tasting as I thought.

Ingredients for the Pesto Pasta Recipe

• Pesto (homemade is awesome, but store-bought works great too! Costco has one that is my favorite, but alas! I no longer live near a Costco.)
• Spaghetti Pasta – I use Gluten-free, but regular will clearly work as well
• Canned Sardines (in water preferably, but oil works too it’s just a little heavier.) Trader Joe’s has a great option.
• small onion
• garlic
• yellow squash
• kale
• cherry tomatoes
• olive oil
• Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese

How to Prep and Cook the Pesto Pasta Recipe

A great thing about this meal is that it is fast to make! If you’re not good at multitasking, you may want to prep the veggies beforehand.

1. Boil the water and cook the pasta according to its instructions.
2. While the water is boiling cut one small onion and mince 3 cloves of garlic. Set aside.
3. Cut the yellow squash into half rounds and chop the kale.
4. Once you add pasta to the water to cook, drizzle a saute pan with about 1 Tbsp of olive oil and put it on medium-low heat. Then add the onion, cooking for 2 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for one more minute.
5. Then add the squash and kale cooking until softened, about 2-3 minutes.
6. While this is cooking, cut the grape or cherry tomatoes in half and set them aside.
7. Open and drain the can of sardines. (Our dog loves fish, so we always put any tuna, salmon, or sardine water on top of his dinner. It makes it soggy, but he loves it! Yuck!)
8. Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and add it back to the pot (make sure the stove is off).
9. Add in the sauteed veggies, drained sardines, cut tomatoes, and pesto sauce, and mix to combine. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. (Most pestos have a fair amount of salt and flavor which is why I haven’t said to add anything until now.)
10. Dish onto plates or pasta bowls and serve with freshly shredded cheese on top.

Bonus Tips and Tricks

Sardines – Sardines come in cans and are either in oil or water. You can use sardines in oil, but I find that it makes the dish just a little heavier. I prefer the ones soaked in water.

Pesto – Homemade pesto is great, but store-bought works just as well. Make sure to have at least 6oz and ideally 7 or 8. If you have a larger jar, just add a few spoonfuls and mix it in then taste, and add more until it seems perfect. In our home sometimes we put less pesto in the big pot and allow people to put extra on their personal serving if they want more flavor.

Vegetables – You can really be adaptable and work with a variety of veggies. I like the color variety of these ones. The yellow, green, and red look so sharp together! You can use spinach instead of kale, or zucchini in place of yellow squash. You could add in asparagus. Olives or capers could be a nice addition. Arugula sounds good with this as well. So many options!

Tomatoes – I find that I prefer the texture of fresh tomatoes tossed in the dish rather than sauteed with veggies. When sauteed they tend to get mushy and I don’t enjoy them as much. if you accidentally saute them that is no problem! You may prefer them that way.

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