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1
Coarsely chop the stalks of wild fennel with their flowers or the fronds and stalks of cultivated fennel.
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2
Place in a large saucepan, add 5 quarts of cold water, 1 tablespoon of the coarse sea salt, and bring to a simmer, poaching the fennel until the stalks are tender.
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3
Drain the fennel, reserving its cooking liquors and press it against the side of the pot to express all its liquid.
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4
Finely mince the poached fennel and set it aside.
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5
In a small saute pan over a medium flame, pan-roast the pine nuts until quite brown and set aside.
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6
In a small saute pan, pan-roast the saffron threads for 1 minute over a low flame.
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7
Add the 2 tablespoons of white wine, dissolving the threads in it and then mixing the saffroned wine with the remaining wine and the tomato puree.
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8
Rinse the anchovies of their salt, remove their heads and bones, and lightly dry them on absorbent paper towels, finally crushing them gently with a fork.
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9
In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil and lightly saute the onion.
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10
Add the minced fennel and saute for 1 minute.
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11
Add the crushed anchovies and the sardine fillets, rolling the fish about in the oil with the aromatics for 1/2 minute before adding the plumped raisins and their juices, 1/2 cup of the pine nuts, and the saffron/tomato mixture.
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12
Stir, amalgamating the elements and reducing the liquids so that a thick sauce results.
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13
Turn the sauce out into a bowl, permitting it to cool and its perfumes and flavors to rest and intensify.
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14
Never refrigerate the sauce.
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15
Just before serving, cook the pasta to al dente in the reserved fennel-poaching water, adding 1 additional tablespoon of coarse sea salt.
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16
Drain the pasta, leaving it somewhat wet, and dress the hot pasta with the sauce, carefully coating each strand.
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17
Serve the pasta in shallow bowls, strewing it with the remaining pine nuts and a dusting of bread crumbs.
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18
In high summer, we might sip iced moscato with the pasta, but in cooler weather, a rough, tannic red seems right.
