Serves 1
Directions
- 1Start boiling a pot of water for the pasta, add just a tiny pinch of salt (or none at all) since the anchovies are salty.
- 2While the water heats, melt about 2-3 tbsp of the butter in a large pan over low-medium heat.
- 3Add the 4 anchovies and let them gently melt/disintegrate into the butter, stirring occasionally.
- 4Keep the heat low so it doesn’t burn.
- 5Add the zest of half the lime to the butter-anchovy mix for that fresh aroma.
- 6Cook the tonnarelli until al dente (follow package timing, but taste early).
- 7Reserve a good cup of starchy pasta water before draining.
- 8Transfer the pasta directly to the pan with tongs.
- 9Turn the heat to high and toss everything together, adding splashes of hot pasta water to create a glossy, emulsified sauce.
- 10Let it finish cooking in the pan for 1-2 minutes, tossing vigorously.
- 11Turn off the heat, add the zest of the remaining half lime (and a squeeze of juice if you want extra brightness), plus a generous grind of black pepper.
- 12Mix well, plate it up, then finish with the extra 3 anchovies on top, more fresh lime zest, cracked black pepper, e buon appetito!
Ingredients
- 85 g Tonnarelli (or any long pasta like spaghetti/spaghettoni)
- 4 tbsp Butter
- 4 Anchovies in oil for the sauce
- 3 Anchovies for decoration/topping
- 1 lime Lime zest and juice as needed
- Black pepper, freshly ground, as needed
- Salt, very light in the pasta water
- Pasta water, as needed
Equipment
panpottongs
Tips
- Keep the heat low so the anchovies don’t burn.
- If the sauce looks dry, add more water.
- If the sauce starts to separate, toss in a bit more cold butter to bring it back together.
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