After-Midnight Anchovy-Garlic Pasta
By Bryan RoofPublished on March 23, 2026
Time
30 minutes
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Before You Begin
This sauce really takes well to any shape of pasta, from short tubes to long noodles. Fresh parsley is nice here but not essential to the recipe. To see more of our favorite weeknight pastas, check out this collection.
Instructions
- Bring 3 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven. Add 12 ounces casarecce and 1 tablespoon table salt and cook, stirring frequently, until just shy of al dente. Reserve 1¼ cups cooking water.
- While pasta cooks, heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 can drained anchovies, 6 thinly sliced garlic cloves, and ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until anchovies break up and mixture begins to sizzle, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Reduce heat to low and add ¼ cup reserved cooking water; stir occasionally to emulsify sauce while pasta finishes cooking.
- When pasta is just shy of al dente, use spider skimmer or slotted spoon to transfer pasta to skillet. Add remaining 1 cup reserved cooking water and increase heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring and tossing pasta often until only about ⅓ cup of water remains in bottom of skillet and creamy, emulsified sauce is formed, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Off heat, add ¼ cup chopped parsley and remaining 2 tablespoons butter and toss until butter is incorporated. Serve, topping with Parmesan and extra red pepper flakes.
Time
30 minutesYield
Serves 4Ingredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
This dish is a perfect pantry pasta for late nights or for when you’re fresh off a vacation. A whole can of anchovies adds deep savoriness without tasting overtly fishy. We cook them in olive oil and butter until they sizzle and break down, along with six cloves of garlic plus pepper flakes for punchy heat to balance the anchovies’ big flavor. We add starchy cooking water to turn it all into a glossy, emulsified sauce. A finishing knob of butter makes the sauce extra-creamy, and parsley adds a freshness to wake up the deep flavors.
Before You Begin
This sauce really takes well to any shape of pasta, from short tubes to long noodles. Fresh parsley is nice here but not essential to the recipe. To see more of our favorite weeknight pastas, check out this collection.
Instructions
- Bring 3 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven. Add 12 ounces casarecce and 1 tablespoon table salt and cook, stirring frequently, until just shy of al dente. Reserve 1¼ cups cooking water.
- While pasta cooks, heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 can drained anchovies, 6 thinly sliced garlic cloves, and ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until anchovies break up and mixture begins to sizzle, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Reduce heat to low and add ¼ cup reserved cooking water; stir occasionally to emulsify sauce while pasta finishes cooking.
- When pasta is just shy of al dente, use spider skimmer or slotted spoon to transfer pasta to skillet. Add remaining 1 cup reserved cooking water and increase heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring and tossing pasta often until only about ⅓ cup of water remains in bottom of skillet and creamy, emulsified sauce is formed, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Off heat, add ¼ cup chopped parsley and remaining 2 tablespoons butter and toss until butter is incorporated. Serve, topping with Parmesan and extra red pepper flakes.
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