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Spaghetti con Aglio ed Acciughe / Spaghetti with Garlic and Anchovies

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| Servings: 6 to 8 servings

This is one of those great, quick pasta dishes — you prepare the sauce as the pasta cooks. And remember, in Italy, the pasta waits for nothing.

It would be culinary high treason to have the pasta not used and served immediately after being cooked, which is why when Nonna announces the pasta has been dropped into the water, you have to get cleaned up and be seated at the table before it comes out — “Punto!” (“Period!’) as Nonna would say. No excuses-end of discussion.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound spaghetti
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, or more if needed
  • 3 large cloves garlic, sliced
  • 3 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste
  • 3 tablespoons plain dried bread crumbs
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup grated pecorino or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, or more to taste (optional)

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add 2 tablespoons salt and the spaghetti, stirring occasionany to keep the pasta from sticking together. Cook until al dente-tender, but firm to the bite, about 10 to 12 minutes.
  2. Once you add the pasta to the boiling water, start preparing the sugo.
  3. In a large skillet over medium heat, add the oil, garlic, and anchovies, and bring up to temperature, stirring to dissolve the anchovies.
    Cook until the garlic starts to turn golden, about a minute once it starts to simmer. Add the pepper and bread crumbs, stirring until the bread crumbs are lightly golden-be aware, this happens really fast. Turn off the heat.
  4. Drain the pasta well and add to the garlic and anchovy skillet. Add the parsley and ½ teaspoon salt (start with a little less since the anchovies are salty), and toss the pasta with the garlic and anchovy sugo over low heat until well combined. Remove the skillet from the heat.
  5. If the pasta seems a little dry after being mixed with the sugo, drizzle it with an additional tablespoon or two of extra virgin olive oil. Taste and adjust the seasoning. This is where you can add more salt, if you wish. Serve immediately.

Source: Beyond the Pasta by Mark Leslie