Anchovy Pasta

A bowl of Anchovy and Tomato Pasta tossed in a glossy golden sauce and garnished with fresh herbs.

A silky, deeply savory pasta that comes together in just 30 minutes. Anchovies melt completely into a glossy butter, white wine and garlic sauce leaving behind nothing but rich, complex flavor that tastes like it took hours.

Course Dinner

Cuisine Italian

Keyword Anchovy Butter Pasta, Anchovy Lemon Pasta, Anchovy Pasta

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Servings servings

Calories 493kcal

Author Heather

Ingredients

16 ounces pasta *See Note #1 below
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 shallots *finely minced
6 large garlic cloves *crushed or minced
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 ounces oil packed anchovy fillets *See Note #2 below
3 tablespoons tomato paste
3/4 cup dry white wine *like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc
4 tablespoons unsalted cold butter *cubed, See Note #3 below
1 lemon *zested and juiced
3/4 cup Italian parsley *roughly chopped
3/4 cup reserved pasta water
freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano *for serving
salt and pepper *to taste

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Salt it generously. See Note #4 below.
Cook the pasta according to package directions until 1 minute shy of al dente. Before draining, scoop out at least ¾ cup of pasta water and set it aside.
While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes until soft and translucent.
Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook 1 minute more until fragrant. (Keep the heat medium-low. You want everything to soften, not brown.)
Add the anchovy fillets to the pan. Use the back of a wooden spoon to press and smear them into the oil. They will completely dissolve in about 2 minutes.
Add the tomato paste and stir it into the oil. Let it cook and caramelize for 60 to 90 seconds, stirring frequently, until the color deepens and the aroma changes.
Pour in the white wine and let it bubble up. Let it reduce by about half, around 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the drained pasta directly to the skillet along with a generous splash of the reserved pasta water and most of the parsley. Toss well.
Add the cold butter one or two cubes at a time, tossing constantly until the sauce is silky and glossy
Add the lemon zest and a good squeeze of lemon juice. Taste and adjust salt and black pepper.
Serve and garnish with the additional parsley. Finish with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano.

Video

Notes

Note #1- Any pasta shape works beautifully in this dish. Pasta with ridges like rigatoni or penne rigate are particularly wonderful as the ridges give the sauce something extra to cling to.

Note #2- In a pinch anchovy paste can be substituted for the fillets. Start with 1 tablespoon, taste and add a little more if needed as paste is more concentrated than whole fillets. The flavor will be slightly less complex but still absolutely delicious.

Note #3- The butter must come straight from the refrigerator. Cold cubed butter is what creates that silky, glossy, restaurant quality sauce. Room temperature butter will break it.

Note #4- Salt your pasta water generously so it tastes like mild seawater. I personally use Maldon Sea Salt flakes for everything in my kitchen and felt like salting the pasta water was wasting a premium salt. So instead I skip that step and finish the dish with Maldon at the end. Because anchovies and Parmesan are both naturally salty, taste first and season carefully.

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