Baked Vermicelli with Fish, Tomato, and Olives

Ingredients

• 8 ounces Vermicelli pasta
• 4 tablespoons Olive oil
• 2 tablespoons Fresh parsley (chopped)
• 1 pound Smelts or white fish fillets (or other white fish, cut into thin strips)
• 1 tablespoon Butter (for greasing the pan)
• 1 cup Bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons Tomato paste
• 4 fillets Anchovy fillets
• 1 tablespoon Capers
• 6 olives Ripe olives (chopped)
• 1 medium Mushroom (chopped)
• 1 teaspoon Salt (or to taste)
• 0.5 teaspoon Black pepper (or to taste)
• 6 cups Water (for boiling pasta)

Instructions

1. 1Bring salted water to a boil in a large pot. Add the vermicelli and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain the vermicelli and toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the chopped parsley. Set aside to cool slightly.
2. 2If using smelts, split them and remove the bones. If using fish fillets, cut them into thin strips. Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Lightly fry the fish until just cooked through, about 2-3 minutes.
3. 3In a small saucepan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the tomato paste and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, until slightly darkened and fragrant. This helps to reduce the acidity of the tomato paste.
4. 4Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter a baking dish and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Layer half of the cooked vermicelli in the dish. Pour half of the tomato sauce over the vermicelli. Arrange the cooked fish, anchovy fillets, capers, chopped olives, and chopped mushroom over the sauce. Pour the remaining tomato sauce over the fish mixture. Top with the remaining vermicelli and sprinkle with the remaining bread crumbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. 5Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the dish is heated through. If the top starts to brown too quickly, cover the dish loosely with foil. If the dish appears dry during baking, drizzle with a little extra olive oil.