Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and salt it.

In a dry pan over medium heat, toast the pine nuts until they are golden brown and fragrant. Once toasted, set aside (note 1).

In the same pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add finely chopped onions and sauté until they are soft and translucent.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package instructions until al dente. Reserve about 1 cup of pasta cooking water before draining.

Add the sardines (removing most of the oil from the cans) to the skillet. Break them up gently with a fork and cook for a couple of minutes until they are heated through.

Stir in the lemon zest, drained capers, and chopped dill, combining them with the sardines and onions. Season with freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Add the cooked pasta to the skillet, tossing everything together. If the mixture seems dry, add some of the reserved pasta cooking water to create a silky sauce.

Stir in the toasted pine nuts. Continue to toss until all the ingredients are well combined.

Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if needed.

Plate the pasta, garnishing with additional chopped dill. Optionally, drizzle with a bit more extra virgin olive oil.