Tinned mackerel with tenderstem broccoli pasta with fennel seeds, chilli and lemon is a fantastic, nutritious, quick and cheap midweek meal.
This recipe will take you around 10 minutes to prepare and another 10 minutes to cook, making it the perfect quick dinner.
Mackerel and Broccoli Pasta
I've said it many times before, mackerel is hands down my favourite fish, and I cook and eat it a lot!
It features here in a wide variety of recipes, fresh mackerel gets used in recipes like my Thai choo chee curry, and a more classical mackerel with horseradish hash, smoked mackerel gets used in a wonderful frittata and my smoked mackerel risotto.
Tinned fish is used to make my mackerel fish cakes, and in my latest recipe.
This pasta recipe combines tinned mackerel in olive oil with tenderstem broccoli to create a delicious and ridiculously easy meal.
A little lemon, chilli and fennel seeds round out the flavours in a dish that will go from your store cupboard to your table in right around 20 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use mackerel in brine?
I wouldn't choose to do that in this recipe because it stops you from seasoning the dish in a way that suits it. It also deprives you of the oil from the fish that I use ot cook the recipe.
Can I use a different tinned fish?
Yes, this recipe is super with tinned sardines in olive oil. You can just about get away with tinned tuna, but it is not ideal.
Do I have to add the chilli?
No, I love a bit of chilli heat, and it is very mild in this recipe. But if that is not your thing, then feel free to omit it; this recipe still works wonderfully.
Can I make this in advance?
Yes, this recipe is fantastic eaten cold or at room temperature, but it doesn't reheat fantastically.
It is fine in the fridge for 3-4 days, but you may need to dress it with a little more olive oil.
Serving Suggestions
Like most pasta dishes, this tinned mackerel and broccoli dish is a simple one-bowl light meal, and I rarely serve it with anything other than some garlic bread.
Your biggest choice with this recipe is what pasta to serve it with.
I chose gigli, mainly because it makes me irrationally happy, it has a wonderful shape, a glorious name, and it is fantastic with "sauces" like this.
But in reality, it works equally well with any fairly "open" pasta shape; farfalle or orecchiette are particularly good. You could even get away with fusilli.
Equipment Used
I only mention specific brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/Stovetop.
- 20cm or 8" saucepan.
- 28cm or 11" frying pan.
- Colander.
- Stirring and serving spoons.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- Citrus zester.
- A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
Tinned Mackerel and Tenderstem Broccoli Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 170 g Tinned Mackerel in Olive Oil 6oz Net weight (I use 2 X 125g tins)
- 200 g Tenderstem Broccoli 7oz
- 1 Medium Echalion or Banana Shallot 50g
- 1 Lemon
- ¼ teaspoon Chilli Flakes
- ½ teaspoon Fennel Seeds
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil (I use the olive oil from the tinned mackerel)
- 200 g Dried Pasta 7oz (I use Gigli)
- Salt (For boiling pasta, plus extra to taste)
Instructions
- Bring a 20cm or 8" saucepan of generously salted water to a boil. I use 1½-2 teaspoons of salt in a pan this size.
- Drain the mackerel, reserving some of the olive oil to cook the "sauce", remove any bones, and flake up the fish.
- Trim up the broccoli, then cut the stems into 1cm (just under ½") lengths, and then cut the tips into bite-sized pieces. Keep them separate.
- Cut the shallot in half, peel it and then dice it as finely as you can.
- Zest the lemon, then cut the lemon in half. We will be squeezing in some of the lemon juice to finish the dish.
- Heat a 28cm or 11" frying pan over a medium heat, and when it is hot, add the olive oil, followed by the shallots, chilli flakes and fennel seeds, cook for 2 minutes.
- As soon as you add the shallots to the pan, add the pasta to the now boiling water and cook until al dente. This should take 7-9 minutes.
- After 2 minutes, add the flaked mackerel, chopped tips of the tenderstem broccoli and the lemon zest to the shallots and cook until the pasta is ready. Stir or toss occasionally.Have a taste at this point and add a little salt if needed.
- 3-4 minutes before the pasta is ready, toss the stems of the tenderstem broccoli in with the pasta.
- Drain the pasta, reserving around 75ml (⅓ cup) of the cooking water. Add the pasta to the mackerel, toss to combine, adding just enough of the pasta cooking water to form a nice emulsion.
- Squeeze in the lemon juice to taste; I use roughly the juice of half of a lemon, then serve.
Gina Strauch
Monday 20th of April 2026
"Bring a 20cm or 8" saucepan of generously salted water to a boil. I use 1½-2 teaspoons of water in a pan this size."
Want to rewrite this, Brian? :)
I too love tinned mackerel, and I'll be making this after work this week, with more water, and, I assume, broccolini, which seems to be what tenderstem broccoli is called here in New York. It sounds like this would be fine with chard too.
Gina Strauch
Friday 24th of April 2026
@Brian Jones, I made this for supper today (the revised recipe 😅) and it will be on the table again. Simple ingredients and preparation, but a complex flavour and a nice presentation. I never knew campanelle was called gigli-what a great name!
Brian Jones
Monday 20th of April 2026
What? I like my pasta al dente 🤣🤣🤣
Nice catch Gina, thanks for flagging it up, enjoy your dinner :D
Brian