Pasta with Anchovies and Capers


This looks sort of plain, but is actually really delicious. We have made it several times using olive oil from cheese stuffed peppers**, which added a little bit of extra spiciness. The anchovies are super salty, so don't use more than the 2 or 3 that are called for. 

Follow the basic method in the recipe below (from the St. Louis Post Dispatch, but add the additional items to the sauté if you have them. Cook the pasta at the same time, reserving 1 cup of the salted pasta water before you drain the pasta to add to the sauce. 

Basic ingredients:

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 or 3 anchovy fillets

2 garlic cloves, peeled but whole

2 tablespoons capers, rinsed 

Additional ingredients:

Small amount of chopped fresh onion (1/4 of an onion or so)

½ or more bell pepper, chopped

chopped/sliced mushrooms (optional)

½ cup or so pine nuts (add at the end)

Parmesan cheese, grated, to finish 

In place of spaghetti, use 12 oz. to 1 lb. angel hair pasta, cooking as usual in salted water, saving about 1 cup of the cooking water before draining it, and adding it to the pasta and sauce.

Here's the recipe this is adapted from: 

St. Louis Post Dispatch 11-4-2020

Spaghetti With Capers

 

Capers add a pungency to a spaghetti sauce that also features anchovies.

 Yield: 4 servings

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 or 3 anchovy fillets

2 garlic cloves, peeled but whole

2 tablespoons capers, rinsed

12 ounces spaghetti 

Heat the oil in a pan, add the anchovy and garlic, and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until the anchovies have dissolved and the garlic has turned golden brown. This will take several minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, discard the garlic and add the capers. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in a large pot of salted, boiling water until al dente, then drain, toss with the sauce and serve.

Per serving: 469 calories; 17g fat; 3g saturated fat; 12mg cholesterol; 15g protein; 64g carbohydrate; 2g sugar; 3g fiber; 627mg sodium; 55mg calcium

Adapted from “The Silver Spoon,” which has no listed author

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