Spaghetti with cherry tomatoes, olives, capers, anchovies, pine-nuts and parsley
| April 22, 2010 | Posted by ameliaps under pasta and grains, spaghetti, summer |
Sometimes you just need dinner in 10 minutes… yes, it’s possible.
BUT you just can’t give up flavor…yes, again, it’s possible.
Pasta is always a fail safe in my house. Well of course, I am Italian 
This one satisfies all sorts of taste buds since it has a salty-umame flavor yet the parsley brings out all the freshness of pantry ingredients. And the pasta, yes, that satisfies the carb-sweetness factor.
You probably have all these ingredients on hand on any given week-night.
While you are preparing the condiment sauce, if you have some left-over anchovies (which you will, since I don’t use all the can) you can make this quick and tasty appetizer: cut some thin sliced bread into small squares, toast it, top it with butter (unsalted!) and one anchovies (maybe even one caper). Enjoy!
Note: you can also add tuna to this pasta for extra texture and flavor, and to make it a complete meal.
A couple of tips: undercook the pasta and reserve some of the cooking water to finish it. If you have a half a cup of white wine on hand (same one you will probably be drinking with the dish) finish the sauce with it. It gets an extra layer of flavor and even a touch of earthy creaminess.
This is a great summer dish. We used to make it at sea, on a boat, when we were off for the night fishing, because all the ingredients are very stable and the flavors are very reminiscent of the saltiness of the sea.
Spaghetti with cherry tomatoes, olives, capers, anchovies, pine-nuts and parsley
1 pound spaghetti
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tablespoons capers rinsed
2 anchovy filets in oil
1/3 cup pine-nuts
1/2 cup black olives such as kalamata, pitted and sliced
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup white wine (optional)
1/2 cup parsley, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Place a large pot of water to boil. As soon as the water boils, salt it, and cook the pasta until al dente (really…be brave!!! keep it a bit crunchy so you can finish it in the sauce). Drain, but reserve some of the boiling water to finish the dish.
Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Heat the oil in a large heavy pan on medium heat. Add the garlic and make it go “golden” and fragrant (a few minutes). Add capers, anchovies, pine-nuts, olives, and tomatoes. (Add the white wine, if you have some). Remove and discard the garlic. Cook the sauce until the tomatoes start to break down and become a sauce, about 8 minutes.
Toss with (under)cooked pasta, turning quickly with a pair of tongs, adding a few tablespoons or the cooking water. Add chopped fresh parsley and season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
Oh, BTW, I won a small contest from Martha Stewart.
I won an “Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast” book. Yeah!!!
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Wonderful dish! I would love this for a weeknight dinner. Great use of anchovies, too (I like their flavor best when it is subtle and blended in with other ingredients).
I especially love the idea of those little anchovy toasts–tasty!
What a perfect pasta for on a boat.
how many people does this recipe serve?
This recipe serves 4 to 6 people.
do you think just doubling the recipe would work out? im serving 6-8 people…and i dont mind left overs!
yes, you can definitively double the recipe. Make sure you have a large pot of water when you boil your pasta (this is KEY to make it "al dente"!)
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