This is basically Spaghettini Aglio e Olio (spaghetti using a garlic and oil sauce) but gussied up a bit so it is also con accighe e olive (with anchovy and olive). There are a few other ingredients in here, too, but it ends up all black and white and easy to make.
A word about the pasta - you can, of course, crack open a box of run-of-the-mill supermarket spaghetti and it will be fine. But if you want to go to the expense of buying freshly-made pasta, or the trouble of making your own, it will be ever-so-much better.
Ingredients
- Garlic cloves, roughly 6 or 7 per person
- White onion, one huge or two medium-sized
- Olive oil (Extra Virgin, of course)
- Anchovy fillets (flat), one small can
- Black Spanish olives (pitted and sliced), one large can
- Spaghetti, one pound for 4 to 6 servings
- Black pepper in coarse flakes (freshly ground is better if you have a peppermill)
How To
Peel the garlic cloves and slice each one in half lengthwise. Don’t be afraid of the quantity per person; they will be discarded after flavoring the oil, so you need a lot.
Peel the onion, cut in half and slice thinly. Separate into half-round rings.
Drain the anchovy fillets and chop very fine.
Drain and rinse the olives.
Start a large pot of salted water to boil so you can cook the spaghetti al dente. This usually takes 10 to 12 minutes.
Put the oil in a large saucepan, using 2 to 3 tablespoons per person. Put the garlic cloves in and heat the oil slowly. Once the garlic is lightly browned, remove it and add the white onion. Cook this until it is soft but not brown. You may want to add a bit of oil so this is a somewhat liquid sauce, not just cooked onions. If the pasta has not finished cooking, take the saucepan with the oil and onions off the heat.
When the pasta is done, drain it and put into a large bowl. Pour all of the onion/oil mixture over the pasta and mix well. You may have to warm the saucepan contents slightly if you had to wait for the pasta to finish.
Mix the spaghetti thoroughly, then add the olives and anchovy and mix again. Sprinkle liberally with black pepper and serve.
Please note that this recipe does not contain grated cheese. However, you are free to use Romano or a parmesan if you wish. It will still be black and white.
Recipes from P to T
Pasta Recipes
Italian Recipes