Pasta with anchovies and onions is full of omega-3 and umami-rich little fishes. And it’s faster than fast, making it doable even on a hectic weeknight. It’s protein-rich but doesn’t skimp on carbs or cheese, and the satiating taste will make you appreciate how easy it is to pull together.
Adapted from Chris McDade | The Magic of Tinned Fish | Artisan, 2021
Known in the home kitchens along Venetian canals simply as salsa, this ancient recipe comprises minimal ingredients found in most Italian home pantries. It is traditionally eaten on fasting or meatless days as a way to show sorrow for your sins, but it is now enjoyed year-round in osterias all over the region.–Chris McDade
WHAT IS THE BENEFIT OF EATING CANNED FISH?
Like fruit and veg, fish has a season and a time when it’s at its best. What do you do the rest of the time? Tinned fish is an affordable, high-quality way to make a healthy and exceptional dinner. Tinned fish is harvested and preserved at the peak of quality and flavor. It’s more economical than fresh seafood, stores easily in your pantry, and comes recommended by medical experts as one of the world’s most nutrient-packed foods. You know what you’re getting when there are only one or two ingredients on the label. There are many, many countries that rely on tinned fish (Spain, Portugal, and Italy come to mind…) for those out-of-season cravings and omega-3 rich dinners. And if you’re a bit of a greenie, think of it this way—smaller portions mean less food waste, they require no refrigeration, tin is easy to recycle and cheaper to transport, and you’re not paying for fish out-of-season. And just in general, they’re a quick addition to most meals.
Pasta with Anchovies and Onions
Ingredients
- 6 ounces bucatini or other long pasta of your choice
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons (1 1/2 oz) unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 (2 1/2 oz) yellow onion sliced 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick
- 8 anchovy fillets (or substitute 2 teaspoons anchovy paste)
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Directions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat for the pasta. Stir in 2 teaspoons salt. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions, stirring every 2 minutes. Taste a noodle a minute or so before the end of the suggested cooking time to ensure that your pasta comes out al dente.
- Meanwhile, in a medium skillet combine the garlic, 1 tablespoon of butter, and the olive oil. Warm over low heat until the garlic becomes fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the onion and increase the heat to medium. Cook, giving the skillet a toss every other minute and reducing the heat if the butter begins to brown, until the onions are soft, about 6 minutes. Reduce the heat to low.
- Just before it’s time to remove the pasta from the boiling water, add 1/3 cup (80 ml) of the pasta water and the anchovies to the onion mixture and bring it to an aggressive simmer.
- Drain the pasta and add it to the skillet. Continue cooking, constantly stirring and flipping, until about 3 tablespoons of liquid remain in the skillet, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and remove from the heat. Add the Parmesan, parsley, and lemon juice and stir until fully incorporated.
- Divvy the pasta between two bowls and serve with more Parmesan, if desired.
Show Nutrition
Recipe Testers' Reviews
This simple pasta with anchovies and onions dish for two comes together fairly quickly from pantry and staple ingredients. It's a good recipe to have in the culinary repertoire. Now that bucatini is available again, it’s a great shape to hold up to the rest of the ingredients.
When I’ve had similar preparations before, they've had toasted breadcrumbs added in at the end, and this would be a great use of homemade bread crumbs if you have them on hand. (I didn’t this time around but am filing that idea away for next time.) We had the pasta with a green salad and baked orange cauliflower in cheese sauce.
Originally published July 05, 2021
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Annie A.
The only problem with this pasta with anchovies and onions is that we had no leftovers when we finished...so in other words, it was a HIT.
This is such a lovely pasta dish; simple, just rich enough, and really nice for a summer night--due to the gentle approach this recipe takes in cooking the ingredients, and because it's done so quickly (and doesn't have time to overheat your kitchen!)
This recipe also gives you small portions, meaning, it's the perfect thing to serve up when the weather's hot and you aren't sure how hungry you are. (Although after eating a bite of this, you might wish you'd doubled the recipe!) Definitely a make-again dish for me.