This 5-ingredient recipe takes just 20 minutes to make, perfect for weeknights and dinner parties alike.

This tinned fish dish is inspired by the classic Italian pantry pasta: Spaghetti Aglio e Olio. Traditionally, Spaghetti Aglio e Olio is prepared with a sauce of just garlic, olive oil, and pasta water. The most critical part of the recipe is quality tinned fish, so check below for my recommended tins.

What type of tinned fish should I use?

I recommend a flavorful tin of fish with a firmer texture that will hold up to a little cooking and tossing. The most important part is to select a tin with quality fish and spiced oil to act as the base of the sauce. The tin above and plated picture is made with garfish, which has a clean briny flavor and firm texture perfect for cooking.

This recipe is versatile enough to work with tuna, mackerel, sardines, and more. Here’s a quick list of my recommended tins for this recipe:

Ati Manel Garfish in Spiced Olive Oil (Amazon / Lata)
Nuri Extra Spiced Sardines in Olive Oil (Amazon / Lata)
Patagonia Provisions Spicy White Anchovies in EVOO (Patagonia Provisions)
Açor Spiced Tuna in Olive Oil (Lata)

The heat level of tins vary drastically, so if you’re looking for something more than 2/10 on the spice scale I recommend the Nuri Extra Spiced Sardines or Patagonia Provisions Spicy White Anchovies.

Looking for more ways to cook with tinned fish? Check out my recipe for Tinned Tuna Ventresca with Citrus or browse recipes in the tinned fish category.

Ingredients

1 tin fish in spiced oil
4 oz spaghetti
2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
2 tbsp parsley chopped
¼ cup breadcrumbs I prefer panko

Instructions

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti until al dente, according to package directions.
While the spaghetti cooks, heat a couple teaspoons of oil from the tin of fish in a skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs and toast until golden brown, 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Set toasted breadcrumbs aside on a plate to cool.
A minute before the pasta is done, heat the remaining oil from the tin of fish in the same skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and let it sizzle for 30 seconds.
When spaghetti is done, reserve 1/2 cup (120mL) of the cooking water and drain. Add spaghetti to the pan with garlic oil. Add tinned fish, parsley, and a few tablespoons of pasta cooking water. Toss until sauce completely coats pasta, adding more cooking water if needed. Taste and season with salt if needed. Serve topped with breadcrumbs.

  
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Spiced Garlic Tinned Fish Spaghetti

What type of tinned fish should I use?