We make this delicious pasta our way…too much of everything after too much drinking or too much work. Scale way back on the red pepper flakes if you don’t like heat.
- 1 pound long pasta – spaghetti, linguine or fettucine
- 2 ounce Anchovy packed in oil
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4 tablespoons chopped garlic
- 1/4 cup capers
- 1 cup olives
- 4 tablespoons red pepper flakes
- 1 quart tomato sauce – diced, whole, puree – it all works
- 2 cups pasta cooking water
- Fill a large pot with water and salt it heavily. Bring to a boil over high heat while you gather the rest of the ingredients. This is also a good time to fix yourself a cocktail!
- Pit the olives, if needed, and roughly chop them.
- Get out a large saute pan or braising pan, heat it over medium and add the olive oil. When the oil is warm, add the garlic and saute until starting to turn golden. Stir the anchovy in, mashing with your wooden spoon until the anchovy melts into the garlic.
- Add in the capers, olives and red pepper flakes, stirring until fragrant. Tip in the tomatoes, bring up to a simmer and let cook to meld all of the flavors.
- By this time, your water should be boiling! Cook the pasta until al dente, about 10 minutes. Reserve 2 cups of the starchy cooking water, drain the pasta and tip into the pan with the sauce, stirring to combine. Add the reserved pasta water as needed, to achieve a silky but not wet sauce. Finish cooking the pasta in the sauce. The pasta will suck up all of the delicious flavors.