Spaghetti with Anchovies is one of my Dad’s favorite dishes and one he often cooks for himself. He’s turned so many others onto this simple Italian recipe, I decided to share.
Are you ready for something a little different? I have a guest cook for this post!
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My parents often come to visit us in California because they live in Michigan. Given the weather that the Midwest has endured this winter, you’ll probably understand why. While my Mum is busy cooking and cleaning, my Dad likes to potter around outside.
Read more about members of my family along with recipes they’ve given me!
My crazy Dad
He trims the hedges, picks avocados, seeks and destroys every dandelion he can find in my lawn, and just does odd jobs around the yard. He also loves to knock down, smash, tear out, cut down and generally, just demolish things.
This is nice as many of these are usually things I have to do, but he has been making me crazy by asking me over and over if I’ve added Spaghetti with Anchovies to my blog! Because I have over 50 recipes on my “to-make list” for my blog, I finally told him he can do it–and he did (in video).
I must apologize because my filming skills are lacking, my editing isn’t great, and Dad isn’t used to being in front of the camera (he’s a retired photographer), but it’s a short, fun clip (especially the outtakes at the end) and it gets the job done.
My dad is a nut, if you can’t tell from the photos; but he’s truly passionate about his food, especially pasta! Gee, do you think it’s in our DNA?
Dad has converted a great many “non-anchovy eaters” with this recipe (he says guys seem to be the ones who go nuts over it). The printed recipe is below the link to the video. Let me know what you think, and I hope you also enjoy the outtakes at the end (my mother is going to kill me)!
And before anyone comments that he looks like Dustin Hoffman, I don’t see it, except for maybe the hair. And by the way, have you ever seen that much hair on a 78 year old? It’s all that pasta!
Spaghetti with Anchovies
recipe by Bernardo Conte (printable recipe below)
serves 2 to 3
Ingredients
- (a shot of whisky-optional)
- 8 oz spaghetti (top quality, like De Cecco)
- Kosher or sea salt for the pasta water
- 2 tbsp top quality extra virgin olive oil
- 2 to 3 cloves of crushed, or chopped garlic (the smaller the pieces, the stronger the garlic flavor)
- 1 heaped tbsp fresh Italian parsley, chopped
- fresh cayenne pepper(s), optional, as desired, fresh or dried
- 4 or 5 anchovies (under olive oil)
- 1/3 cup (3 to 4 oz) dry white wine
- black pepper
- (grated Parmesan is optional as fish and cheese together is usually a no no in Italy) 😂
(Take the shot of whisky and proceed.)
Cook the pasta as directed on the box.
Now, while the pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce.
In a frying pan over medium-high heat, add the olive oil, chopped garlic, parsley, fresh or dried cayenne peppers, and anchovies. Sauté for a few minutes, until the garlic begins to brown and the anchovies disintegrate, or dissolve (for lack of better terms).
After a minute or two, add the white wine, and stir well.
Next, remove from heat and set aside until the pasta is ready.
When the pasta is cooked, place the sauce on a burner over low heat, and with a pasta scoop, remove the spaghetti from the pot and add it to the anchovy sauce, taking care not to overly drain the pasta, or it will be too dry.
Stir well; remove from heat.
Serve immediately with freshly ground black pepper and (grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese from Italy.) This last part is optional as Italians frown on cheese with fish. That’s Dad’s Scottish side!
I asked Dad to share one more thing with you, his bird whistle-click here!
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My Nutty, Scottish-Italian Dad's Video Tutorial on How to Make Spaghetti with Anchovies
Spaghetti with an anchovy sauce that my Dad makes all the time. Everyone who tries it, loves it!
Ingredients
- (a shot of whisky-optional)
- 8 oz spaghetti (top quality, like De Cecco)
- Kosher or sea salt for the pasta water
- 2 tbsp top quality extra virgin olive oil
- 2 to 3 cloves of crushed, or chopped garlic (the smaller the pieces, the stronger the garlic flavor)
- 1 heaped tbsp fresh Italian parsley, chopped
- fresh cayenne pepper(s), optional, as desired
- 4 or 5 anchovies (under olive oil)
- 1/3 cup (3 to 4 oz) dry white wine
- black pepper
- (grated Parmesan is optional as fish and cheese together is usually a no no in Italy) 😂
Instructions
Cook the pasta as directed on the box.
While the pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce.
In a frying pan over medium-high heat, add the olive oil, chopped garlic, parsley, fresh or dried cayenne peppers, and anchovies and sauté for a few minutes, until the garlic begins to brown and the anchovies disintegrate, or dissolve (for lack of better terms).
After a minute or two, add the white wine, and stir well.
Remove from heat and set aside until the pasta is ready.
When the pasta is cooked, place the sauce on a burner over low heat, and with a pasta scoop, remove the spaghetti from the pot and add it to the anchovy sauce, taking care not to overly drain the pasta, or it will be too dry.
Stir well; remove from heat.
Serve immediately with freshly ground black pepper and (grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese from Italy.) This last part is optional as Italians frown on cheese with fish. That's Dad's Scottish side!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 3 Serving Size: small bowlAmount Per Serving:Calories: 323Total Fat: 16gCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 12g
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I love that spaghetti with anchovies recipe and use a similar one. If I may suggest a variation … I sometimes peel the garlic cloves and brown them whole in the olive oil. Once they’re decently brown, I remove the pan from the heat and smash the cloves with a fork. They’re soft all the way through. This releases the cloves’ oils into the olive oil. But since the cloves weren’t minced or chopped while raw, it causes these oils to have a pleasant nutty, garlicky flavor that nicely complements the anchovy.
Will pass this on to Dad, thank you!
Your dad is WAY better looking than Dustin!
Hi Christina,
Everyone loved the anchovies and pasta dish Christmas Eve.
Thanks.
Have a wonderful start to the New Year!
Wishing you and your prosperity, joy, happiness, health and all your dreams come true!
Cheers!
Luisa from Woodbridge, Ontario, Canada.
That’s wonderful, Luisa! Thank you so much for letting me know and the same to you and yours for a fabulous 2018!! :)
Hi Christina,
I loved the video. I had so much fun watching it!
I’ll be making this dish on Christmas Eve, as my older son loves it!
I will make it with the white wine too, rather than adding more olive oil!
Thanks for all your recipes, great pictures and now videos!
I enjoy all of them immensely!
Wishing you and your family a Happy Christmas and a wonderful New Year in 2018!
All the best!
Luisa from Woodbridge, Ontario, Canada?
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