Go Back
A white bowl full of buctini pasta, covered with grated cheese and parsley.
Print Recipe
5 / 7 votes

Pasta with Anchovies and Onions

I hope that my approach to tinned fish will give you new ideas for the tins stacked in your pantry. Pasta is a perfect base for tinned anchovies and onions, and I've used Parmesan, lemon, and parsley to highlight the outstanding umami flavor of one of my go-to fishes, anchovies.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Mains
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 2 servings
Calories: 435

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 medium 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
US - Metric

Instructions

  • 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.

Notes

  1. Top with bread crumbs--To zhuzh up your pasta, sprinkle toasted bread crumbs or panko over the top of the finished dish.
  2. Don't overcook your pasta--Take care to only boil the pasta until al dente as it will continue to cook when added back to the sauce.
  3. Pasta water--Save your pasta water for reheating leftovers.
  4. Storage--Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Rewarm in a saucepan over low heat, adding a splash of water or leftover cooking water to loosen the pasta.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 435kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 1333mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g