Spaghetti with a Spicy Tomato Anchovy Sauce is incredibly easy to make! If you think you don’t like anchovies you might actually change your mind once you try them in this dish. They’re not the hero ingredient here but instead they add rich flavor and wonderful umami to the dish. Feel free to skip the anchovy garnishing on the spaghetti: that’s really for the true anchovy lover.
Course Dinner, First Course, Lunch, Main Course, Pasta
Cuisine Italian
Keyword anchovies, pasta, tomatoes
Prep Time 10minutes
Cook Time 15minutes
Servings 4
Calories 527kcal
Equipment
pasta pot
pasta claw
saucepan
Ingredients
400gspaghetti
8tomatoes, mediumquartered
3tablespoonsextra virgin olive oil
1garlic clovepeeled and roughly chopped
1 hot chili pepperchopped
6 anchovy fillets, large
1 handful fresh parsleyminced
4anchovy fillets for garnishing the pasta - optional
Instructions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. The water should taste like the sea.
Peel and roughly chop the garlic clove.
Place the garlic with the olive oil in a sauce pan large enough to hold the pasta, and simmer over a low flame until the garlic begins to sizzle.
Add the tomatoes, stir and cover.
Cook for several minutes over a low flame stirring occasionally.
Add the chili pepper and anchovy fillets and cook covered for several more minutes.
Use a wooden spoon to smash the anchovy fillets so that they are fully amalgamated into the sauce.
If needed add pasta cooking water by the tablespoonful so the sauce does not dry out.
While the sauce is cooking put your spaghetti into the pot of boiling water and cook until al dente, or according to package instructions.
Mince the parsley.
When the spaghetti is done use a pasta claw to lift it out of the pot and place directly into the sauce pan with the tomato sauce.
Toss the sauce together until the spaghetti is covered.
Add half the parsley and toss again.
Place the pasta in a serving bowl and sprinkle with the remaining parsley.
If desired garnish with the additional anchovy fillets.