Anchovy Gateway Pasta
I call this my Anchovy Gateway Spaghetti because it’s for all the people who think they don’t like anchovies—and I think they’re wrong. Anchovies are the quiet heroes behind so many dishes we already love. They make Caesar salad craveable and give Worcestershire sauce its signature depth. Here, they melt into olive oil to create a rich, savory base for a simple pasta tossed with toasted panko breadcrumbs. It’s fast, unfussy, and completely delicious—the kind of meal that just might change your mind about anchovies for good. Serves 8.
Ingredients
Garlic Bread Crumbs
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ cup panko bread crumbs
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Anchovy Pasta
10 ounces dried spaghetti
4 anchovy fillets packed in oil, or 1 tablespoon anchovy paste
½ cup R-Rated Onions (here)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
⅔ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano (use a Microplane)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
Kosher salt to finish (optional, depending on the saltiness of your pasta water and how much pasta water you end up using
Directions
1 Toast the Bread Crumbs In a 10- to 12-inch skillet, heat the olive oil and garlic gently until the garlic starts to sizzle. Add the bread crumbs and salt and toast, stirring frequently for a few minutes. Once the bread crumbs are brown and crisp, transfer them to a paper towel–lined plate to cool.
ATTENTION: While you could leave them out of this recipe, the garlic bread crumbs are a great way to add texture to lots of simple pasta or bean dishes. I make a bit more than I need and keep them on hand, sealed in a container, for up to a week, for use on the fly. You should too.
2 Make the Pasta It’s very important to have all your ingredients prepped and ready when you gear up to put this pasta together, because if you don’t move fast and the spaghetti sits in the half-finished sauce while you grate cheese or squeeze lemons, it will dry up and turn into sludge. So be ready.
3 Boil the spaghetti in plenty of salted water until it’s cooked but still toothsome. Trust that the spaghetti will continue to soften as you incorporate it with the sauce, so drain the noodles just before their texture is to your liking. But before you drain it, dip a mug in and draw out about 1½ cups of the pasta cooking water. Set the noodles and the starch-filled water next to your range so they are easy to reach.
4 Finely chop the anchovies if you’re using fillets and run your knife through your R-Rated Onions just to make them a little smaller and more sauce friendly. When you have all your ingredients prepped and within arm’s reach, combine the chopped anchovies, onions, 1 tablespoon of the butter, the olive oil, and pepper flakes in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Cook until the anchovies sort of dissolve in the fat and all the ingredients come together as one.
5 Add the cooked spaghetti, about ⅔ cup pasta water, and about ½ cup of the grated cheese. Using tongs, work everything together allowing the water to cook out and creating a silky sheen on the spaghetti. To finish, add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, the lemon juice, remaining cheese, and rosemary. If you need to add additional pasta water to make things creamy again, by all means go for it. Taste and add a little salt if you need it.
6 Serve immediately smattered with the garlic bread crumbs.