Description
Scale
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 to 6 cloves of garlic (lightly smashed, peeled, coarsely chopped)
- 4 to 6 anchovy fillets
- 1 28-ounce can whole plum tomatoes
- ½ cup fresh parsley (stems and leaves, finely chopped)
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- ½ cup pitted black olives (preferably oil-cured, coarsely chopped)
- ¼ cup capers (drained and patted dry)
- Crushed red pepper flakes to taste
- 1 pound linguine or other long pasta
- Fresh herbs (parsley, basil leaves, oregano…, for garnish)
- Sea salt (to taste)
Instructions
- Bring pot of water to boil and salt it – you want it as salty as sea water.
- Warm 2 tablespoons oil with garlic, anchovies, and crushed red pepper in skillet over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is lightly golden.
- Drain tomatoes and crush with fork or hands. Add to skillet, with some salt and pepper. Raise heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes break down and mixture becomes saucy, about 10 minutes. Stir in olives and capers, and continue to simmer. Add the fresh parsley to the sauce and stir.
- Cook pasta, stirring occasionally, until it is tender but not mushy. Reserve a half cup of the pasta liquid. Drain pasta and toss with sauce, the pasta liquid, and remaining tablespoon of oil. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary, garnish with fresh herbs and serve.
Notes
I like a full tablespoon of crushed red pepper. One of the attractions of this pasta recipe is the spiciness. The salt and rich umami flavor mingled with the heat of the red pepper makes this addicting. So more is more, as far as I’m concerned. This is not a subtle dish.