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spaghetti with walnuts and anchovies in skillet on counter next to sliced lemon and beige napkin.

Spaghetti with Walnuts and Anchovies

Spaghetti is tossed with a flavorful sauce of toasted walnuts, plenty of garlic, some red pepper flakes and, for gorgeous umami flavor, some anchovy paste. This dish will make even a random Tuesday dinner extra special!
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Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: easy pasta dinner, pasta dinner, weeknight dinner
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4

Equipment

  • 1 large skillet
  • 1 large pasta pot
  • 1 pair of tongs

Ingredients

  • 1 package of your favorite pasta -- I'd recommend spaghetti, orecchiette, or fusilli
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes add more for an extra kick of heat
  • 2/3 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
  • 8 high quality anchovies, finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • Fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped
  • Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  • Fill a large pot with water for the pasta and bring it to a boil on the stove over high heat.
  • While you wait for the water to boil: assemble, measure, and chop the ingredients for the sauce: olive oil, garlic, chili pepper, walnuts, anchovies (or paste), and lemon juice. The sauce will come together quickly, so assembling the ingredients now is important.
  • When the water boils, generously salt and add the pasta.
  • Cook pasta according to package directions, minus 3 minutes for perfect al dente pasta.
  • The sauce will only take about 5 minutes, so start the sauce when there are 5 minutes left on the pasta cooking time.
  • In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
  • When the oil shimmers, add the walnuts and toast for about 2-3 minutes until they start to smell toasty. Add the garlic and chili pepper. Lower the heat to medium low or low to prevent the garlic from browning. Cook for about 1-2 minutes until the garlic becomes fragrant.
  • Add the anchovies (or paste).
  • Press down the chopped anchovies with the back of a wooden spoon. They will melt into the sauce, so keep pressing until they are fully incorporated. This should only take a minute or two. If you finish this step and your pasta is still cooking, remove your skillet from the heat and set aside. When you're ready to add the pasta water and then the pasta, place the sauté pan back on low to medium heat to warm it.
  • When the pasta is finished cooking, but BEFORE DRAINING, scoop out 1 cup of pasta water into a glass measuring cup. The pasta water will be added to the sauce to help bring the sauce together and create mouthwatering flavor. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot, drizzle with olive oil, and add a couple of tablespoons of butter (this will prevent the pasta from sticking together).
  • ANOTHER OPTION FOR THE PASTA: Use tongs to transfer pasta directly from the pot directly to the sauté pan. There should be enough water on the pasta make the sauce glossy, but save some of the pasta water in case you need to add a bit more. If you do it this way, be sure to turn off the heat on your stove first.
  • Back to the original method of draining the pasta: Before adding the pasta to the sauté pan, carefully stir the pasta water into the walnuts, anchovies, garlic, red chili peppers, and olive oil. The starch in the water will help the sauce coat the pasta and create a beautiful glossy sauce.
  • Using tongs, add the pasta to the saucepan , and toss with the sauce until the pasta is fully coated with the sauce. The pasta should look gorgeous and glossy.
  • Add the lemon juice, and toss a few more times over low heat.
  • Serve garnished with fresh parsley, and a generous helping of Parmesan cheese.
  • You can also drizzle a little bit of olive oil over the top because, well, why not?

Notes

Swaps, Substitutions, and Variations

Pasta: Use any pasta you like! Spaghetti, penne, rigatoni, and fusilli will all work!
Anchovies: If you're reading this at 6 p.m. and need to get dinner on the table ASAP, but don't have anchovies, then substitute a splash of fish sauce or a spoonful of white miso.  You can also use anchovy paste instead of anchovy fillets. The back of the anchovy paste tube should have the proper ratio for paste to fillet. If it doesn't, 1/2 teaspoon equals 1 anchovy fillet.  
To level up the heat: Feel free to be generous with the chili flakes if you want more heat. You can also add an extra clove (or 2) of garlic or freshly ground black pepper.
Nuts: Pine nuts would be a great substitute for walnuts. Just keep a very watchful eye as they toast in the skillet because they burn much more quickly than walnuts because of their high oil content. 
Other ways to elevate this dish: Garnish with lemon zest or add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to the finished dish.  Sprinkle with fresh parsley, grated Parmesan, or pecorino romano cheese.