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Spaghetti with Lemon, Anchovies and Capers
We usually just dump it down the drain, but Lidia Bastianich reminds us that the water we cook our pasta in is worth saving. She uses the starchy water to thicken flavorful sauces from strong pantry staples — anchovies, capers, garlic, lemon and red pepper flakes — to make a fast pasta sauce for this weeknight recipe. “You pull out pasta and some kind of basic, intense ingredients,” she says. “Some anchovies. Some olives. Some capers. Of course some good olive oil. You have dinner for four in less than half an hour.”
4
Servings
Don’t salt the pasta water as much as usual; the other ingredients provide plenty of salt. One tablespoon kosher salt for 4 quarts of water worked for this recipe.
30 min
15 min active
Ingredients
-
12
ounces spaghetti
-
¼
Directions
-
01Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until just tender but not fully cooked, about 2 minutes less than package directions. Reserve 2 cups of the cooking water, then drain.
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Fantastic! I have made it twice now, both times just as good. It tastes like pasta that came straight from the sea, in the best possible way. If you like the taste of piccata, you're really going to like this recipe. The anchovy gives it an added depth of umami but doesn't turn the dish "fishy". Lots of Parmesan on top was key.