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Spaghetti con olive e capperi - Spaghetti with olives and capers |
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This is quite an easy pasta dish to make. All over the southern part of Abruzzo where the Frentani hills are found, olives are abundant and often used whole in a variety of sauces.
Ingredients - serves 4
4 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic
2 anchovy fillets (or 1/4 tsp. anchovy paste)
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper (or a few drops of hot chilli sauce like tabasco)
4 oz black and green olives (use all black or half and half), pits removed, cut into halves
1 oz. capers (2 tbsp. drained or if under salt, dust off salt)
2 Tbsp. chopped parsley
10 oz. peeled tomatoes
1 lb. spaghetti, thin spaghetti, or whole wheat spaghetti or linguine
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
Smash the garlic (leave it whole, but smash it a little to let the flavour out) and add it to the oil in a warm saucepan. Add the crushed red pepper and anchovies also. Cook this over low heat until the garlic begins to soften and turn slightly golden (do not let it brown) and the anchovies have "melted"- about 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the olives, the capers, and the parsley. Stir well.
Add the peeled tomatoes and break them up with your cooking spoon. Turn the flame to medium and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, and adding a spoonful of water if the sauce begins to thicken too much.
Meanwhile, put the water on to boil for the pasta. (Add a heaping Tbsp of salt to the water when it boils). When the pasta is cooked, the sauce should be already finished and waiting. TAKE THE GARLIC PIECES OUT OF THE SAUCE and throw away. Stir the pasta into the sauce (off the burner).
This dish is traditionally served without cheese. However, if one prefers, the best cheese with this dish would be pecorino.
BUON APPETITO!!!
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