Nigella's Simple Anchovy Pasta

This recipe, if you can call it that, is from Nigella’s new FT Weekender Magazine column. So simple, but so delicious.

I have slight variations of this on rotation for lunches or very quick evening meals.

The garlic and lemon is to taste, so the amounts I use are not listed. The main variable is the lemon zest (and even the juice if you are feeding anchovy haters - but why would you be…), add more if you want less savoury notes, less if you love (as I do) the salinity and savouriness of the anchovies.

One can optionally add the lemon juice if those you are feeding are really averse to the anchovy, but Nigella recommends adding a chopped handful of parsley to ground the dish if so.

Ingredients

  • 4 fillets anchovy (or whole tin if you love Anchovies like Nigella and I)

  • 1 portion of spaghetti or linguine (about 75 g for one person)

  • minced garlic (to taste)

  • grated lemon zest (to taste) (optional juice too)

  • splash of olive oil (to emulsify the sauce)

  • 1-2 spoonfuls of butter (mine is dairy free, of course)

  • Handful of parsley (chopped) (optional)

Directions

  • Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions, when only 1-2 mins left heat the oil in another pan (big enough to hold everything later)

  • Toss the anchovies in the oil (not too hot, just to melt them into an amazingly savoury paste in the oil)

  • Mince the garlic and grate the lemon zest directly into the pan (medium heat now)

  • Keep some of the pasta water aside, add 1-2 spoonfuls of butter to the anchovy pan, then drain the pasta

  • Switch of all the heat now, then add the drained pasta once all the butter is melted

  • Toss everything until all strands of the pasta are glistening with the savoury, buttery juices

  • Add some of the retained pasta water to being everything together