This Filipino sardines pasta recipe is a deliciously spicy dish using popular brand Ligo Sardines! Sauteed with habaneros, tomatoes, and fresh herbs, this saucy pasta is full of amazing flavor! A unique twist on ginisang sardinas!
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Spicy, saucy, in a zesty tomato sauce, this Filipino sardines pasta recipe takes our hit Spicy Filipino Sardines Recipe with Habaneros | Ginisang Sardinas to the next level!
Using our addictingly easy Filipino canned sardines as a base, these linguini noodles are covered in this rich sauce!
Done in under 20 minutes, this sardines pasta recipe will be your easy, go-to meal with limited prep time required! Canned recipes are the best!
This post will go over everything you need to know to create this Filipino sardines pasta recipe.
Recipe difficulty: Easy, beginner level
Using the popular brand Ligo Sardines in Tomato Sauce Chili Added, our ginisang sardinas or sauteed sardines takes our favorite sardine recipe to a saucy, pasta dish using linguini, tomatoes, and fresh herbs. Super easy to knock out in under 20 minutes using basic and economical ingredients!
Sam’s Pro Tips for this Filipino Sardines Pasta Recipe
Get the Right Ligo Sardines Can for the Sauce
Very important! As this is the base in our Spicy Filipino Sardines Recipe with Habaneros | Ginisang Sardinas, it needs to be the right flavor.
The kind we use is the Ligo Sardines in Tomato Sauce Chili Added. Seriously, this is the best flavor in combination with the habaneros, vinegar, and lemon juice.
The result? A tangy, spicy sauce with fresh herbs without that overpowering fish taste. Yum!
Cutting the Habanero
We love using habaneros in a bunch of our recipes like our 5-Minute Salted Egg Salad Recipe or 7-Ingredient Tasty Filipino Corned Beef Recipe Done in Only 20-Minutes, but these are very strong peppers!
These peppers can burn your skin when mincing. So, when you cut the habanero, try to mince while leaving the stem on. You can place the habanero stem side down on the cutting board and cut around the seed pit.
Remember if you add some of the seeds to this tomato sardines pasta, the seeds will make it extra spicy! Or for extra caution, just use food gloves.
Easy, Time-Saving Tips
There are a couple time saving hacks you can incorporate into your cooking routine, even in this sardines pasta Filipino recipe:
- Buy your garlic already peeled and minced. One product we love using is the Trader Joe’s Minced Garlic. A half teaspoon is the equivalent to 1 garlic clove minced and you’re done!
- If you don’t have fresh lemon, always have handy bottled lemon juice. Remember, 1 lemon can usually yield 3 tablespoons of juice depending on the size of the lemon.
- Fresh chopped parsley works best in this Filipino sardines pasta recipe. However, in a pinch dried parsley flakes can also be used. Remember, dried herbs are more potent compared to fresh herbs. A good rule of thumb is to use 3x the amount of fresh herbs compared to dried herbs.
Key Ingredients – Filipino Sardines Pasta Recipe
Below are some key ingredients for this recipe:
- Ligo Sardines in Tomato Sauce Chili Added: The favorite sardines recipe Filipino style! Ligo is the only brand we use, as the sauce combination is perfect with the linguini to create one of the best sardine recipes.
- Habanero: The game-changer in this sardines pasta recipe is the habanero! Seriously! I use two habaneros in this recipe, but you can also start with only 1 if this is your first time.
- Grape tomatoes: Halved grape tomatoes are added to the sauce as these tomatoes are slightly firmer and will hold up well when cooking. This gives a beautiful fresh flavor!
- Garlic: We will be using 6 cloves of garlic in this recipe! Remember how I said you won’t get an overpowering fish taste? The garlic will help with this as the aroma of the garlic is a strong compliment to the tomato sauce.
- Vinegar: Cane vinegar is extremely popular in Filipino cooking! If you need help finding this, download our Top 5 Crazy-Cheap Ingredients You Need for Filipino Cooking and Where to Find It from my free resource library!
- Lemon: Lemon is the partner to the vinegar! Of course, fish will pair well with the lemon! When serving, have a couple lemon wedges on the side for any guests that want extra!
- Green onion: For some added freshness and greenery, we use chopped green onion as the finishing touch!
- Parsley: 1/3 cup of chopped parsley will be tossed with this sardines pasta Filipino recipe and will add to the amazing sauce.
More Variations to this Filipino Sardines Pasta Recipe
There are a few ways you can variate this Filipino sardines pasta recipe. Here’s how:
- Bell peppers can be a great alternative option! If you don’t want to use a habanero, you can use bell peppers for some added spice. The color bell pepper doesn’t matter as the each will look extra tasty in the sauce. Red chili flakes will also work as an alternative as well!
- Do you have other pasta dishes? Yes! The Ultimate Filipino Spaghetti Sauce Recipe takes a unique spin on spaghetti sauce and is a family favorite! Or our 5-Topping Filipino Palabok Recipe with Easy Shrimp Sauce is a potluck favorite with some fun toppings!
- What can I pair with this dish? As this is a solid main dish, plan to serve a sweet treat to balance out the spice like our Perfectly Sweet and Crispy Filipino Turon Recipe | Fried Banana Rolls or Easy Filipino Biko Recipe with Toasted Coconut | Sweet Sticky Rice Cake. The perfect additions to the dinner table!
Interested in Filipino cuisine, but don’t know where to begin? Download our Top 5 Crazy-Cheap Ingredients You Need for Filipino Cooking and Where to Find It from my free resource library!
- 5-Topping Filipino Palabok Recipe with Easy Shrimp Sauce
- Spicy Filipino Sardines Recipe with Habaneros | Ginisang Sardinas
- 15-Minute Asian Chili Garlic Butter Shrimp with Sprite
- Filipino Style Spam Garlic Fried Rice Anyone Will Love
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you cook canned sardines?
You can sauté canned sardines with onion, garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, and soy sauce. For a kick, try adding habanero!
How do you eat Ligo sardines?
Ligo Sardines in Tomato Sauce Chili Added are ready to eat. Be sure to add the onion, garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, soy sauce, and habanero from this recipe in a pan for the best flavor!
How long does sardines last in the refrigerator?
Store this tomato sardines pasta in the refrigerator and eat within 3 days.
What is the rule of thumb in regard to substituting fresh herbs for dried herbs?
Dry herbs are more potent compared to fresh herbs. A good rule of thumb is to use 3x the amount of fresh herbs compared to dried herbs. For example, 1 tablespoon of fresh parsley is equivalent to one teaspoon of dried parsley.
How much juice can you get from one lemon?
Usually, 1 lemon can yield 3 tablespoons of juice depending on the size of the lemon.
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