Chef John's Sicilian Sardine Pasta

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the bread crumbs and cook, stirring constantly, until they become golden brown and crispy, taking anywhere from 2 to 5 minutes. Transfer the toasted bread crumbs to a bowl.

Next, grind the saffron threads using a mortar and pestle until they're finely crushed. Then, add white wine to the mortar and mix everything together.

In a separate pot, bring 1-2 cups of salted water to a rolling boil. Cook the bucatini pasta in boiling water, stirring occasionally, until it's almost fully cooked but still retains some firmness to the bite, taking around 10-11 minutes. Remove from heat and reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water for later use.

In a large skillet, heat the remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add sliced onions, fennel, and a pinch of salt; cook and stir until the onion is softened, taking about 10 minutes. Add chopped raisins, minced garlic, and anchovy; cook and stir until heated through, about 1 minute.

Pour the wine mixture into the skillet and let it simmer for a couple of minutes, until almost all the liquid has evaporated. Then, add 1 ladleful of the reserved pasta water to the skillet and bring it to a gentle simmer. Stir in pine nuts and red pepper flakes; let the flavors combine and the sauce thicken, taking about 5 minutes.

Add the cooked bucatini pasta to the skillet and stir in the sardines. Increase the heat to high and cook, stirring constantly and adding more reserved pasta water as needed, until the sauce and pasta are heated through, taking about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Spoon the pasta mixture into bowls and top with fennel fronds and toasted bread crumbs.