Pasta with Anchovies

Spaghetti with Anchovy, Capers, Chilli and Garlic

This is a really easy pasta dish which can literally be made in under 15minutes. An important note however – never, ever underestimate how under salted pasta can impact negatively on the final flavour of a dish. It is often said that the water you cook pasta in should be as salty as the Mediterranean Sea!! I cook my pasta in a pot with approximately 5 litres of water. I use 3 heaped tablespoons of table salt, and this produces pasta with the right amount of saltiness. Alternatively, if you live close enough to the beach, you can always pop across to the water’s edge and fill your pot with sea water!!

Ingredients

• 1 small tin (or 50g) anchovy fillets, chopped
• 1 medium brown onion finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 1 – 2 chillies finely chopped (you can use as hot, or as mild as you wish – I prefer hotter for this dish)
• 1 ½ Tablespoons capers, coarsely chopped
• 1 large handful Italian parsley, finely chopped
• Zest of one lemon finely chopped
• Olive oil
• 1 packet spaghetti

Method

• Heat a pot of well salted water until boiling and cook the spaghetti until done – “Al Dente”.
• Whilst cooking the pasta you can make the sauce.
• On a low – medium heat, gently sauté the onion in a good splash of olive oil until softened – about 6 -7 minutes.
• Add the chillies and gently fry for about another minute or two.
• Add the garlic and gently fry for about 1 minute.
• Add the chopped anchovies and stir through.
• Add the capers and stir through.
• Gently cook for about another minute adding another splash of olive oil if the sauce seems a little dry.
• Remove from the heat and stir through the parsley and lemon zest.
• Drain the pasta.

Serve the sauce over the spaghetti adding some cracked black pepper and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Nice! and Tasty – Chris