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.
2Melt about 2-3 tbsp of the butter in a large pan over low-medium heat.
3Add the 4 anchovies with a little bit of their oil and let them gently melt/disintegrate into the butter, stirring occasionally. Keep the heat low so it doesn’t burn.
4Add the zest of half the lime to the butter-anchovy mix for that fresh aroma.
5Cook the tonnarelli until al dente (follow package timing, but taste early).
6Reserve a good cup of starchy pasta water before draining.
7Transfer the pasta directly to the pan with tongs. Turn the heat to high and toss everything together, adding splashes of hot pasta water to create a glossy, emulsified sauce.
8Let it finish cooking in the pan for 1-2 minutes, tossing vigorously.
9Turn 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.
10Mix well, plate it up, then finish with the extra 3 anchovies on top, more fresh lime zest, cracked black pepper.
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 (zest and juice as needed)
Black pepper, freshly ground
Salt, very light in the pasta water
Pasta water
Equipment
PanPotTongs
Tips
Cook anchovies on very low heat so they don't burn.
If the sauce starts to separate, toss in a bit more cold butter to bring it back together.
Add a squeeze of lime juice if you want extra brightness.