The pasta with butter and anchovies is an easy and quick first course that you can prepare with ingredients usually always available at home in the time it takes for the pasta to cook. Like cacio e pepe, spaghetti with garlic, oil, and chili pepper, or spaghetti with red wine, pasta with butter and anchovies is a versatile recipe for those evenings when you come home late from work and don’t have time to shop or spend hours cooking. The secret to transforming this simple combination into a surprisingly delicious dish lies in the right balance of flavors. The oil-packed anchovies, with their intense saltiness, blend harmoniously into the butter, creating a creamy and tasty dish. The key ingredient of this recipe is the starch contained in the pasta, which is released especially during the creaming phase. It is essential to drain the pasta al dente and choose a type of pasta rich in starch. I had fresh tonnarelli at home, but high-quality dried spaghetti works well too.
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 4 servings
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients for pasta with butter and anchovies
- 500 g fresh tonnarelli (or 380 g high-quality dried spaghetti; for me gluten-free)
- 70 g butter
- 8 fillets oil-packed anchovies
Tools
- 1 Pot
- 1 Pan wide non-stick
- 1 Spoon
How to prepare pasta with butter and anchovies
To prepare pasta with butter and anchovies, start by bringing plenty of water to a boil for the pasta. You can prepare the sauce while the pasta cooks, especially if using dried pasta. If using fresh tonnarelli, which usually cook in a couple of minutes, it’s better to have the sauce ready beforehand.
In a non-stick pan add the butter (1) and let it gently melt over low heat. When almost completely melted, add the anchovies (2) and, keeping the heat very low, tilt the pan so they remain completely immersed in the butter (3).
This way, they will melt without burning. Once completely melted, turn off the heat (4). Cook the pasta in plenty of slightly salted water (keep in mind that the anchovies are already very salty), drain it well al dente, keeping some of its cooking water aside, and transfer it to the pan.
Finish cooking the pasta by constantly stirring and gradually adding a little of its cooking water (5). Once it has absorbed the sauce and formed a nice creamy texture, turn off the heat (6).
Serve the pasta with butter and anchovies immediately, optionally garnished with some chopped parsley.
Tips and Variations
Although fresh pasta – like tonnarelli or spaghetti alla chitarra – has the significant advantage of releasing more starch compared to dried pasta, it also tends to overcook much faster, so you must be particularly attentive during the creaming phase.
