Midnight Pasta With Garlic, Anchovy, Capers and Red Pepper

By David Tanis

Midnight Pasta With Garlic, Anchovy, Capers and Red Pepper
Romulo Yanes for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Vivian Lui.
Total Time
15 to 20 minutes
Rating
5(5,579)
Comments
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There’s something about pasta, cooked properly, that trumps all the other possibilities. And the smell of pasta boiling is a heady cheap thrill. With a few basic staple pantry items, a true feast can be ready in minutes. Good spaghetti, good olive oil, garlic and a little red pepper are all you need, plus some anchovy and capers if you have them.

Featured in: At the End of the Night, Satisfaction

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Ingredients

Yield:2 servings.
  • ½pound spaghetti
  • Salt
  • 3tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 4garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 4anchovy filets, rinsed and roughly chopped
  • 1tablespoon capers, rinsed and roughly chopped
  • ½teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
  • 2tablespoons chopped parsley, optional
  • Parmesan for grating, optional
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (2 servings)

628 calories; 23 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 15 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 87 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 18 grams protein; 405 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.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Put the spaghetti in a large pot of well-salted rapidly boiling water and cook only until firmly al dente. (Depending on the brand of pasta, this will be 8 to 10 minutes, but check frequently to see. )

  2. Step 2

    While the pasta is cooking, warm the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute, without letting it brown. Stir in the anchovies, capers and red pepper and cook for a half-minute more, then turn off the heat.

  3. Step 3

    Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Pour in the garlic mixture, add the parsley, if using, and toss well to coat. Serve with grated Parmesan if desired.

Ratings

5 out of 5
5,579 user ratings
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Comments

Kevin

I've always found it best to finish cooking pasta in its sauce. For this, I'd remove the pasta from the pot after boiling for 6 minutes reserving some of the pasta water, add the pasta to the skillet with about 1/2 cup of the pasta water, bring to a simmer for about 2 minutes or until the pasta water evaporates.

Nancy

This is a favorite quick pasta dish. You can safely cut out 1 TBSP of oil. I use the small tins of anchovies, and use the whole tin, draining off most of the oil first. Stronger flavour, of course, than what the recipe calls for. The parsley adds a nice touch. Add extra chilli flakes if you like it spicier. I like to start the capers with the garlic, to give them a bit of crunch.

EphGirl

I took others' suggestions and modified this slightly. Doubled anchovies, garlic and capers, sliced garlic instead of chopping, took out pasta 1 minute before it got to al dente, and threw it into the skillet with the other ingredients and some pasta water to cook further. A squeeze of lemon with the parsley added a nice touch. Next time, I'll top with grated parm.

Rebecca Davies

based on the suggestions to add lemon, I just made it with tj's lemon pasta, delicious!

kyhotbrown

Made this as a quickie to produce a delicious dinner after a busy day. Followed the recipe exactly and my family raved, called it “restaurant quality” and assumed I’d been cooking for them all afternoon.

Mortadella

This recipe has great appeal on all levels, but didn't scream the tastes I was looking for. I will add much more anchovy, garlic and pepper, although I am thinking a chopped oil packed Calabrian chili pepper might be a great replacement for the dried chili flakes. A bit of dried Sicilian oregano would likely add to this recipe as well. I'll also try a good sprinkling of toasted bread crumbs on top.

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