Before starting to make the recipe, Elena explains that she usually always has roasted peppers at home: “I roast them in the pressure cooker, and it takes no time at all”. You can use peppers from a jar too, “as long as they are roasted.”

That said, let's see, step by step, how to prepare sardella calabrese:

1. Chop the garlic cloves and sauté them in virgin olive oil in a pan over a low heat.
2. When the garlic begins to take on colour, add the peppers and season with salt and pepper (be careful with the salt, as anchovies will be added later). Let stand for 5 minutes, stirring from time to time.
3. Add the passata (natural chopped tomato, and allowed to simmer), a pinch of sugar to remove the tomato’s acidity and a bay leaf.
4. After another 5 minutes, add the sardines and anchovies, breaking them up with the help of a spatula, so that they are distributed equally.
5. Mix in the spices and powdered cayenne by hand.  Continue cooking for another 2 minutes.
6. Remove from the heat and remove the bay leaf.
7. Make a paste by stirring everything, adding virgin olive oil. The amount of oil will depend a bit on our taste and what the sardella is for: for an appetizer or dip, 4 tablespoons of oil will suffice.

It can be served hot, warm or cold, with toast, bruschetta or even nachos.

A very tasty appetizer. Thanks, Elena!