Tomato Anchovy Spaghetti

I feel like you’ve reached adulthood when you realise you love anchovies. It’s like a secret rite of passage we go through unknowingly.

Just like the 2 past pasta recipes for the month of March, this is another staple of my recipes-although this one is the one I make the most by far. It’s made of ingredients I always have at home no matter what. You will always find a jar of passata in the fridge- especially in winter! A jar of anchovies is always chilling somewhere, and garlic, onion and red chilli flakes are never not present.

If you haven’t noticed the patten, I’m not into super saucy pasta, I like every single pasta to be perfectly coated with sauce, not drowning. However, if you’re into it, this one is great for you- slightly thicker in consistency, it does a great job of emulsifying with the pasta water to create a silkier slurpier textured sauce.

Also, if you think you don’t like anchovies STILL give this a try. You don’t necessarily get a pungent fishy taste, the anchovies are here to give a pleasant umami base to the sauce.

Tip: I don’t add any salt into the sauce, the anchovies are already salty and so is the pasta cooking water.  If before plating you find that your dish needs salt - feel free to add.

Prep/cooking time: 20-30 mins

Serves: 2-3 people

Ingredients

3 big shallots, thinly sliced 

3 cloves of garlic, minced

7 fillets of anchovies in oil, drained

1/2 tsp red chili flakes

3 tbsp tomato paste 

2 tsp balsamic vinegar 

1/2 cup (120ml) passata 

1/2 cup (95ml) water 

1 scant tsp lemon zest optional

250g spaghetti 

1/2 cup or less pasta cooking liquid

Chopped fresh parsley, to garnish

Oil

Method

1. In a pan on medium heat, add a good glug of oil.  Add shallots in and sweat for 5 minutes, until fully softened. 

2. Add in garlic, anchovies and red chili flakes to the shallots, stir the mix until the anchovies start to break down and disintegrate. 

3. Add the tomato paste, cook until the paste changes colour and darkens, 5 minutes. Pour in the vinegar and let it reduce completely.

4. Next, add lemon zest, passata and water to the pan.  Let it come to a simmer and turn the heat to low. Cook uncovered for 15 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, in boiling salted water cook the spaghetti 2 minutes under al dente. 

6. When the pasta is 2 minutes under, Scoop out ½ cup of pasta cooking liquid and set aside. Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce.  

7. Turn the heat under the pasta and sauce up to medium high, toss everything together adding 1 tablespoon of pasta cooking liquid at a time to the mix until everything emulsifies and coats the spaghetti properly. Serve with fresh parsley.