When my Catalan friend Pep made me fideos, the Spanish dish that’s much like a paella but with pasta instead of rice, the first thing I thought was: delicious. The second: What a great thing to make for one. You don’t have to boil the pasta, the whole dish can be made in a single skillet, and you can scale it down easily. I like to make it with sardines because they last so long in my cupboard or refrigerator, they’re considered one of the more eco-friendly fish in the world, and they give the pasta a salty, funky taste I love. This makes a hearty meal for one, but you can easily stretch it to serve two with a salad or another vegetable and bread on the side.
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the broiler with the rack 4 to 5 inches from the flame or element.
Step 2
In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the fish stock, garlic, shallot, tomato, fennel, and salt, and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to very low and keep it hot.
Step 3
Line a plate with paper towels. Pour 1 tablespoon of the olive oil into a small oven-safe skillet (that comes with a lid) over medium heat. When it starts to shimmer, add the bread crumbs and toast until golden brown, 1 or 2 minutes, watching carefully so they don’t burn. Transfer the bread crumbs to the paper towel–lined plate, wipe out the skillet, and return it to the heat.
Step 4
Pour the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil into the skillet. When it starts to shimmer, add the bacon and sauté until the bacon is browned and crispy, 2 to 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to the plate with the bread crumbs.
Step 5
Toss the spaghettini pieces into the skillet and cook, tossing constantly with tongs, until they are toasted brown, mottled, and look like pretzel sticks, about 5 minutes. Pour in half of the hot fish stock, cover, and cook until it is almost absorbed, about 4 minutes. Add the remaining stock along with the vegetables, increase the heat to high, and cook uncovered, shaking the pan occasionally, until the mixture is only slightly soupy and the spaghettini pieces are slightly firmer than al dente, another 4 to 5 minutes.
Step 6
Stir in the sardines, transfer the skillet to the broiler, and broil, watching carefully so it doesn’t burn, until the fideos are darkly browned in spots on top and the liquid is absorbed, 1 to 2 minutes.
Step 7
Scoop the fideos onto a plate, sprinkle the bacon pieces and bread crumbs on top, and eat.
