Moar recipe
I didn't have the time, energy, or stamina to make the tomato and anchovy sauce from Marcella that I wanted to (dang narcotics), but I made a tasty bastardization, and again, am recording for memory.
As far as the timing goes, you want the pasta to be done when the sauce is done. I lucked out this time, but a standard trick for those of us (anyone except Chef Ramsay, my mother, my Oma, and all Italian chefs) who fail at perfect timing is to make the sauce, turn off the heat, cook the pasta, and turn the heat back on under the sauce for the last 3-5 minutes of pasta cooking. Stir well, turn the heat off again, and toss as mentioned below.
Pasta with Tomato-Anchovy Sauce
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/2 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, no salt added
- splash (~1/4 cup) red wine (I used a Rossi Burgundy)
- 4-5 anchovy fillets (approximately half a tin)
- 2 T capers, drained
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1/4 lb linguine (or spaghetti)
Heat the oil over high heat until hot, not smoking. (You should be able to smell the olive-y aroma.) Peel and slice the garlic, add to the oil, turn the heat to medium, and stir. As soon as the garlic turns golden and starts smelling wonderful, add the tomatoes, and stir well to coat them with the oil. (Caution! The tomatoes and liquid WILL splash hot oil up. That is unavoidable, it doesn't hurt too badly, and if you're worried or scared, you can tip the pan and slide the tomatoes down the side wall.) Once the tomato liquid starts to boil, turn the heat down and cover with the lid slightly ajar. Once the tomato liquid has mostly vanished, add the wine, bring back to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10-15 minutes. You want the tomatoes to break down and have only oil left as far as liquid goes. Chop the anchovies into small-ish pieces, add them to the cooked-down tomatoes, and stir real well to incorporate. I kind of mashed the heck out of the tomatoes and the anchovies with the wooden spoon I use to stir the pasta with. Let it cook another minute or two to get the flavours mixed together, stir in the capers, and take from the heat.
Pour over al dente long pasta, toss well, and devour.
Serves 1 (very hungry) Nora for dinner.
Note: this will coat the stove-top in oil. It is unavoidable with this style of tomato sauces. It's not a big deal, just clean up within half an hour of finishing cooking with lots of soap, and make sure to wipe the floor too, just in case there's oil there.
As far as the timing goes, you want the pasta to be done when the sauce is done. I lucked out this time, but a standard trick for those of us (anyone except Chef Ramsay, my mother, my Oma, and all Italian chefs) who fail at perfect timing is to make the sauce, turn off the heat, cook the pasta, and turn the heat back on under the sauce for the last 3-5 minutes of pasta cooking. Stir well, turn the heat off again, and toss as mentioned below.
Pasta with Tomato-Anchovy Sauce
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/2 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, no salt added
- splash (~1/4 cup) red wine (I used a Rossi Burgundy)
- 4-5 anchovy fillets (approximately half a tin)
- 2 T capers, drained
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1/4 lb linguine (or spaghetti)
Heat the oil over high heat until hot, not smoking. (You should be able to smell the olive-y aroma.) Peel and slice the garlic, add to the oil, turn the heat to medium, and stir. As soon as the garlic turns golden and starts smelling wonderful, add the tomatoes, and stir well to coat them with the oil. (Caution! The tomatoes and liquid WILL splash hot oil up. That is unavoidable, it doesn't hurt too badly, and if you're worried or scared, you can tip the pan and slide the tomatoes down the side wall.) Once the tomato liquid starts to boil, turn the heat down and cover with the lid slightly ajar. Once the tomato liquid has mostly vanished, add the wine, bring back to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10-15 minutes. You want the tomatoes to break down and have only oil left as far as liquid goes. Chop the anchovies into small-ish pieces, add them to the cooked-down tomatoes, and stir real well to incorporate. I kind of mashed the heck out of the tomatoes and the anchovies with the wooden spoon I use to stir the pasta with. Let it cook another minute or two to get the flavours mixed together, stir in the capers, and take from the heat.
Pour over al dente long pasta, toss well, and devour.
Serves 1 (very hungry) Nora for dinner.
Note: this will coat the stove-top in oil. It is unavoidable with this style of tomato sauces. It's not a big deal, just clean up within half an hour of finishing cooking with lots of soap, and make sure to wipe the floor too, just in case there's oil there.