Anchovy Pasta with Lemon
This is one of those recipes that is so much more than the sum of its parts, and once tried you’ll keep coming back to it. In Italy, a simple pasta dish like this would be served with a sprinkling of seasoned fried breadcrumbs (see FAQ above), but some bread on the side works just as well.
Ingredients
- Salt
- 12 ounces dried spaghetti
- 1 can (1 3/4-oz) anchovies in olive oil
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon, preferably organic
- A few sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- Rustic bread, to serve (optional)
Instructions
- Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil and season with salt. Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente, according to package directions.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, combine the anchovies and their oil, the extra virgin olive oil, and the garlic. Cook gently, prodding occasionally, until the anchovies have dissolved and the garlic is aromatic, but not burnt, about 3 minutes.
- Squeeze in the lemon juice and add the chopped parsley and stir to incorporate. Remove from the heat until the pasta is cooked.
- Once the pasta is done, use a pair of tongs to pull the pasta from the saucepan into the anchovy pan, allowing some of the salted cooking water to go in with it.
- Set the skillet over low heat and pull the spaghetti up and down in the pan to absorb the flavors and to help emulsify the oils with the starch of the cooking liquid.
- Season with freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes and finish with a few grates of lemon zest. Serve with rustic bread on the side, if desired.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 390kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 1179mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g