If I’m hungry, in a hurry and don’t want to get take-away, this pasta is one of my go-to meals. I can have it on the table in 20 to 25 minutes and I almost always have all of the ingredients on hand.
Packed with garlic and the savoury-umami flavour of anchovies, there is a tiny bit of heat from some chili flakes and the barest creamy consistency from the addition of parmesan cheese, it’s straight from an Italian restaurant but couldn’t be easier to make.
How to Make Anchovy & Tomato Pasta
Fundamentally, this pasta isn’t all that different from my arrabiata or creamy tomato pasta with a few tweaks here and there. It is also achingly simple to make and the sauce comes together as the pasta cooks.
You can really use any type of pasta for this but I like something like spaghetti or bucatini.
Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted, boiling water for 2 minutes less than the package suggests. Make sure not to drain the pasta water completely and to reserve some to finish the sauce.
While you’re cooking the pasta, add some sliced garlic, chili flakes and roughly chopped anchovy fillets to a large skillet. Set it over medium heat and allow the garlic to gently infuse into the oil and for the anchovies to begin to dissolve.
Once the garlic is lightly golden and the anchovies are mostly gone (this will take about 5 minutes) add in some tomato paste.
Cook this for a minute or two – just until it darkens in colour – before pouring over a can of whole, peeled tomatoes that you’ve crushed with your hands.
Stir the tomatoes into the garlic and anchovy mixture and then bring to a simmer.
Then, ladle a bit of the pasta cooking water into the sauce and sprinkle over some parmesan cheese. Stir to combine with the sauce.
Add the cooked pasta to the sauce along with some fresh chopped parsley. Cook, tossing with tongs, for a minute or two longer, adding more pasta water if needed to adjust the consistency.
If you’re hungry and want to add some extra protein, sometimes I also like to add a can of tuna at this stage, but this is completely optional!
Serve the pasta immediately, topping with more parmesan cheese.
Tomato Anchovy Pasta
Ingredients
- 250 g (½ lb) pasta such as spaghetti or bucatini
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic roughly chopped
- 4 anchovy fillets roughly chopped
- ½ tsp chili flakes
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 (400g/14oz) can whole peeled tomatoes crushed with hands
- 30 g (¼ cup) parmesan cheese finely grated, plus more
- 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley finely chopped
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook for 2 minutes less than the package suggests. Reserve about 250ml (1 cup) of cooking water when draining.
- While the pasta is cooking, add the olive oil, garlic, anchovies and chili flakes to a large skillet and set over medium heat. Allow the oil to gently heat up, stirring occasionally, while the anchovies begin to break down and the garlic begins to take on a light golden colour, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add in the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Pour over crushed tomatoes and stir in ¼tsp of salt. Bring to a simmer and allow to bubble while the pasta finishes cooking.
- When the pasta is done, pour in about 60ml (¼ cup) of the reserved pasta cooking water and the grated parmesan cheese. Stir to melt the cheese in the sauce.
- Add the cooked pasta and the parsley to the skillet and toss to coat in the sauce, adding more pasta cooking water to adjust the consistency, if needed. Cook for 1 minute longer and then serve immediately, topping with more cheese, if desired.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Packed with anchovies, tomatoes and garlic, this pasta recipe is as simple as it gets, quick to make and incredibly delicious.
Are you after a quick and easy pasta recipe? Have any questions? Let me know in the comments!
