Midnight Pasta With Anchovies, Garlic and Tomato
Published March 16, 2022
- Total Time
- 25 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Advertisement
Ingredients
- Salt, as needed
- ½pound bucatini, spaghetti or linguine
- 3tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
- 4garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 4 to 8oil-packed anchovy fillets, chopped (optional)
- Large pinch of red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving
- 1½tablespoons tomato paste
- ½small lemon, zested
- Handful of coarsely chopped parsley or basil leaves and tender stems, plus more for garnish
- Grated Parmesan, for serving (optional)
Nutritional analysis per serving (2 servings)
660 calories; 24 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 16 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 91 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 20 grams protein; 578 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered by
Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.
Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.
Preparation
- Step 1
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat. Add pasta and cook, according to package directions, until about 2 minutes shy of al dente so the pasta can finish cooking in the sauce. It should still have a slight crunch in the center. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
- Step 2
While the pasta is cooking, in a large skillet, combine the oil, garlic, anchovies (if using), red-pepper flakes and pinch of salt over low heat. Cook until garlic is opaque and a few of the slices are pale gold at the edges (don’t let the garlic turn brown), 2 to 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook until it darkens, about 1 minute longer.
- Step 3
Add the drained pasta, lemon zest and ⅓ cup of the reserved pasta water to skillet. Stir until the pasta is al dente and well coated with sauce. Add more pasta water, if needed, until the sauce is glossy and the pasta cooked to taste.
- Step 4
Cut the zested lemon half in half (so you’ll have a quarter of a lemon) and squeeze some juice into pasta. Stir in herbs and taste, adding more lemon juice and salt, if needed. Cut remaining lemon into wedges and serve it alongside the pasta, which should be garnished with more herbs and red-pepper flakes, a drizzle of oil and a generous sprinkle of cheese, if you like.
Private Notes
Comments
For this kind of recipe I have stopped draining the pasta into the sink, a messy business anyway. I simply scoop pasta from the boiling-water pan (turned off, so I can see) into the pan where I’ve built the sauce, using a spider, tongs, whatever. Some water comes along, and that's just fine. And I don’t need to worry about saving some pasta water; it's still right there, to add as I need it. Bonus: when it's time to empty the water, it's no longer a boiling cauldron.
Skip the lemon. Add capers and olives and you got puttanesca.
This is a great quick dish! My Sicilian grandmother made this on occasion. The main difference was that she would also brown some breadcrumbs (from stale Italian bread) in a skillet. The browned breadcrumbs would be sprinkled over the top of a serving as you might sprinkle cheese. It suits this dish admirably. Always linguine with this dish. My grandmother never touched butter or cheese and lived to over 100. My grandfather was a Swiss chef and of course dearly loved cheese!
I added a 14 oz can of San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes. And I have no regrets. Great recipe.
Skip the olive oil and use the oil from the sardines to saute with.
Enjoyed this dish, and it was the first time I’ve eaten anchovies! Can’t say I’m a big fan but it all blended very well together.
Advertisement