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Sardine Spaghetti with Garlic, Chilli, Lemon and Spinach

Wholewheat spaghetti tossed with tinned sardines, garlic, chilli, lemon, spinach and parsley. A store-cupboard dinner with 34g of protein and oily fish omega-3 fats, ready in 25 minutes.

Dinner

25

Serves 2

A white bowl of spaghetti tossed with garlic, chilli flakes and chopped parsley, topped with a whole sardine fillet and a sprig of parsley, with more bowls of pasta behind

Ingredients

  • 150g/5oz wholewheat spaghetti
  • 1 tsp salt, for the pasta water
  • 2 x 120g/4oz tins sardines in olive oil, drained (about 180g/6oz drained)
  • 1 tbsp (15ml) extra virgin olive oil (or use 1 tbsp of oil from the tins)
  • 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • ½ tsp chilli flakes
  • 1 lemon: finely grated zest and 2 tbsp (30ml) juice
  • 100g/3½oz baby spinach
  • A small bunch of flat-leaf parsley (about 20g), chopped, plus a few sprigs to serve
  • Black pepper

Method

  1. Boil the kettle, pour the water into a large pan, add the salt and bring back to the boil. Add the spaghetti and cook following the pack, usually 10 to 12 minutes, until just tender. Before draining, scoop out a mug of the cooking water.
  2. Meanwhile, set aside 2 whole sardines for the top and break the rest into large chunks, removing any large bones if you like (the small soft bones are edible and a good source of calcium).
  3. About 3 minutes before the pasta is ready, heat the oil in a large frying pan (skillet) over a low to medium heat. Add the garlic and chilli flakes and cook gently for 1 to 2 minutes, until the garlic is pale golden; do not let it brown or it will taste bitter.
  4. Add the drained spaghetti, the spinach, lemon zest and juice and 3 to 4 tbsp of the cooking water. Toss over the heat for 1 to 2 minutes, until the spinach has wilted and the pasta is glossy, adding a splash more water if it looks dry.
  5. Gently fold in the sardine chunks and most of the parsley and heat for 1 minute. Season with pepper; you should not need more salt. Serve topped with the whole sardines, the rest of the parsley and a few parsley sprigs. It is best eaten straight away; cool any leftovers quickly, keep them in the fridge and eat within 1 day.

Why it works

A bowl gives you about 34g of protein for 537 calories, most of it from the sardines and wholewheat pasta.

Why tinned sardines. Sardines are an oily fish, rich in the omega-3 fats EPA and DHA, and one of the few foods that naturally contain vitamin D. The small, soft bones in tinned sardines are edible and add calcium. The NHS advises at least two portions of fish a week, one of them oily, and a tin in the cupboard makes that easy.

Why it is tagged for testosterone. Low vitamin D levels have been linked to lower testosterone in observational studies, although supplement trials in men without a deficiency show mixed results. This bowl also gives you plenty of protein, which matters if you train.

Why it is tagged for blood sugar. With 50g of carbohydrate, inside our limit for the blood sugar tag, plenty of protein from the fish and fibre from the wholewheat pasta and spinach, this bowl is less likely to cause a sharp rise in blood sugar than a bowl of white pasta.

Contains fish and wheat (gluten). Free from milk, eggs, nuts, peanuts, soya and sesame as written. Tinned sardines are salty, so no salt is added to the sauce. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, planning a pregnancy or may have a baby one day, the NHS advises no more than 2 portions of oily fish a week. For sardines on toast, try the sardine and white bean smash.