Anchovy Pasta

Anchovy pasta is a simple and flavorful dish, perfect for lovers of intense sea flavors. I present to you an Italian variant of this dish.

Ingredients

• 320 g of pasta (linguine or spaghetti work well)
• 100 g of anchovies in oil
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• Chili pepper (red and spicy, to taste)
• Breadcrumbs (optional, to sprinkle at the end)
• Chopped parsley (optional, for garnish)
• Salt (if necessary, note that the anchovies are already salted)

Preparation

1. Put a pot with plenty of salted water on the heat to cook the pasta. When the water boils, add the pasta and cook it al dente following the times indicated on the package.
2. Meanwhile, in a large pan, sauté the garlic cloves in the extra virgin olive oil until they become golden. If you like, add some chopped chili pepper for a touch of spiciness.
3. Remove the garlic from the pan and add the anchovies drained from their preserving oil. Let them melt over low heat, mashing them with a fork.
4. When the pasta is almost al dente, drain it reserving some cooking water.
5. Pour the pasta into the pan with the anchovies and mix well to combine the flavors. If necessary, add a bit of cooking water to emulsify.
6. Serve hot with a sprinkle of toasted breadcrumbs (to add crunch) and chopped parsley, if desired.

If we want to add a gourmet touch, we could enrich the dish with crispy garlic and oil bread crumbs. To prepare them, toast some breadcrumbs in a pan with a drizzle of oil and a clove of garlic until golden, then sprinkle over the finished dish.

Trivia

Pasta with anchovies is a classic dish of Italian peasant cuisine, especially in the coastal regions of the South and Sicily. Anchovies are a very versatile ingredient and represent an excellent source of Omega-3.