Here’s another easy pasta dish that delivers big, bold flavors in less than an hour, Tagliatelle with tomato and anchovy sauce (tumact me tulez) topped with crunchy breadcrumbs and walnuts instead of cheese, something that was a luxury item for Italian residents centuries ago. This dish came from the amazing pasta cookbook, Pasta Grannies, that I received for Christmas last year and it seemed exciting enough for me to write about.

Note: I understand that some people, especially American home cooks, get a bit squeamish when they think of anchovies in their dishes, but I promise you that they won’t make the dish taste fishy. Rather, they will add a lot of savory umami richness and a bit of salt to season the sauce nicely.

In fact, I guarantee that if you say nothing to your guests, they won’t be able to tell. It’ll be one of those things where they’ll taste the dish and think, “Wow! I wonder what makes it taste so good.” Just make sure you hide the evidence…and don’t let them see this recipe.

Although if you are still uncertain, then a splash of Worcestershire sauce, or soy sauce if you’re vegetarian, towards the end of cooking will deliver a similar kick.

Tagliatelle with Tomato and Anchovy Sauce

Serves 5-6

For the Breadcrumb Topping:

1-2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 cup of breadcrumbs
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/4 cup of finely chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley

For the Pasta and Sauce:

Salt for the pasta water
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves
1 whole dried chili pepper (optional)
1 tablespoon of chopped parsley
2 ounces of anchovies or anchovy paste (See note above)
1/2 cup of white wine, plus an extra glass for the chef ;)
14 oz can of whole tomatoes, broken with the back of a spoon
18 oz of passata (pureed tomatoes)
1 pound of tagliatelle pasta (fresh or dried)
2 large sprigs of fresh basil, stems and all

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
Make the breadcrumb topping. Heat the olive oil in a medium frying pan for a minute, then add the breadcrumbs and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs are golden and smell toasty. Keep a close eye on this, because the crumbs can burn quickly.
Drain onto some paper towels, then once cooled completely, stir in the walnuts and parsley.
Wipe out the pan used to toast the breadcrumbs, then heat the olive oil for the sauce with the garlic, chili (if using), parsley, and anchovies. Cook for about 1-2 minutes, or until the anchovies have dissolved and the garlic is sizzling. Carefully add the white wine, bring that to a boil, then let it simmer for 5 minutes, or until the wine has evaporated.
Add the Tomatoes, passata, and basil leaves. Bring that to a simmer, then let it cook for about 10 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.
Cook the pasta according to package directions, reserve about 1 cup of the pasta’s cooking water, then drain. Remove the garlic, chili, and basil stems from the sauce, then add the pasta and give it a toss to coat, adding some of the pasta water if the sauce seems too thick. Taste it and season with salt if necessary. (If the sauce is still a bit acidic, then a pinch of sugar will fix that right up.)
Pile the pasta and sauce up on a serving platter or onto plates, then top with the breadcrumb mixture.