​​The Ingredients That Give One Of Our Favorite Pasta Dishes Over 30 Grams Of Protein

We all know how food can transport you to a particular place. We still swoon over the perfect crêpe at the postage-stamp stall in an impossibly cute corner of Paris. No doubt you have your very own gilded food memory resting tantalizingly in the corners of your mind. What better way to liven up a dreary weeknight than by trying a unique dish guaranteed to make you feel like you've been whisked off to Sicily, with a ridiculously high punch of protein (we know you are counting) to boot.

High-protein pasta con le sarde is a modern twist on the old-school version of pasta con le sarde, a somewhat forgotten traditional Italian pasta recipe. This version gets a nutritional level-up thanks to the protein-forward chickpea pasta used to make the noodles. Our riff is easier and more snappy as it leans into (currently trending) tinned fish and a final flourish of chili oil, while the traditional version relies on fresh sardines and bucatini pasta. The combination of sardines, anchovies, nouveau chickpea pasta, and nuts are what really pack on the protein in this satisfying main dish. The chickpea pasta alone has more than 20 grams of protein per 3.5-ounce serving, and the anchovies and sardines bring in more than 20 grams each (though this recipe doesn't call for the full serving size of the anchovies). While the dish does veer into fish-forward taste territory, it offers a balanced depth of umami thanks the briny olives and capers, along with a hint of licorice from the fennel and the sweetness of juicy golden raisins with yellow bell pepper. 

Pasta con le sarde is believed to have been created in the early ninth century by a cook with Arab roots. The island of Sicily was under Arab rule from the ninth to the 11th century, and the dish's ingredients directly reflect this history — as well as the island's geographic location off the southern coast of Italy, within a stone's throw of the shores of Tunisia and greater North Africa. The story has it that the cook concocted this dish because all he had available were both traditional Sicilian ingredients like sardines and pasta, and North African ones including fennel, saffron, almonds, and raisins. If you've been wondering how to eat canned sardines, this recipe is one delicious answer.

The dish comes together fairly quickly as the enticing aromatics are softened and plumped in a saute pan, deglazed with white wine, tossed with the waiting tinned fish, and then swirled together gently with the chickpea pasta. First timers working with chickpea pasta should stay on top of cooking time to avoid it becoming gummy and make sure to note that chickpea pasta should be strained and rinsed after boiling. This protein bomb of a dish explodes with flavor that hits every corner of your palate and its uniqueness may cement the recipe in your dinner rotation. Actual trip to White Lotus-approved Sicily optional.