Name: My 5-Ingredient Pasta Is the Ultimate Pantry Meal
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: American, Italian
Ingredients: Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 5 cloves garlic, minced; 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes; 2 tablespoons capers; 1 pound dry pasta; 2 (4-ounce) tins sardines packed in olive oil, drained; Chopped fresh basil or parsley, to garnish, optional

Ingredients

6 serv.

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons capers
1 pound dry pasta
2 (4-ounce) tins sardines packed in olive oil, drained
Chopped fresh basil or parsley, to garnish, optional

Instructions

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1 Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
2 While the water comes to a boil, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until very fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and capers, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened, about 15 minutes.
3 When the water boils, add the pasta and cook for 1 minute less than the package instructions for al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
4 Add the drained pasta and sardines to the pan with the tomato sauce and toss to combine, breaking up the sardines in the process. As needed, add a splashes of the reserved pasta water to loosen the pasta. Continue to toss until the pasta is well-coated in the sauce and al dente, about 1 minute. Serve garnished with parsley or basil, if using. This pasta is best enjoyed fresh from the pan because of the sardines, but if you do have leftovers, they can be refrigerated for a day or two in an airtight container and reheated on the stovetop over medium-low heat. Add a splash or two of water when reheating it to help loosen the sauce. Alternatively, feel free to cut the recipe in half to avoid leftovers. Love the recipe? Leave us stars and a comment below!