Ingredients:

• 1/2 ounce can sardines (oil from the can will be used for cooking so don’t discard).
• Olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 carrot, peeled and grated fine
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1, 28 ounce can whole plum tomatoes.
• pepper and salt to taste

Process:

1. Open sardines over a sauce pan and drain olive oil from the can into the pan. Add another 2-odd tablespoons of olive oil. Put in garlic and sauté over low heat for about a minute.
2. Add the grated carrot and sauté for another minute
3. Roughly chop sardines and add to pan. Mash and stir until the anchovies dissolve into the oil.
4. Turn up flame to medium and add wine. Stir briefly and let wine bubble away (about a minute).
5. Drain juice from tomatoes into sauce pan and stir. Then roughly chop tomatoes and add to pan.
6. Cook on low heat for 30-40 minutes.
7. Purée the sauce in a food processor until smooth after it has cooled a bit.
8. Toss with 1 to 1.5 lbs. of pasta. Linguine is a good choice for this sauce. Whole wheat if your children can tolerate it.

Optional step 1:
If this sauce will be eaten by adults (or more daring children who don’t mind strong flavors) 2 tablespoons of capers can be added with the carrots and garlic.

Optional step 2:
For a heartier sauce 1/2 pound of peeled and halved shrimp or 1 inch cubes of any mild white fish like tilapia or halibut (or a combination of the two) can be added at the very end and poached in the sauce until just cooked through (2-3 minutes).

Recipe courtesy of Paul Greenberg