The Superfood of Anchovy Spaghetti
How can you make carb-heavy meals healthy? The answer is simple. Harness the power of the Mediterranean superfoods and toss them in with the spaghetti!
We’re big fans of carbs in this house. Can’t get enough of them. I know in this day and age, a statement like that can be controversial given the popularity of low-carb diets and cauliflower everything.
However, my husband is an avid cyclist who needs to (seemingly constantly) carb load for race days, morning endurance rides, and daily commutes to work. And my daughter, well…she’s a toddler and adores bread, potatoes, and noodles.
Needless to say, I’ve gotten quite good at throwing together tasty pasta meals. Pork Ragu, Bolognese, Seafood linguine, Carbonara, meatball casserole, cannelloni, bacon cream sauce, Primavera, mac n’ cheese, and so on and so forth.
You name it and I’ve got a recipe for it. In fact, as of late, I seem to be running out of concoctions. However, will I feed my brood? And how can I make it healthy?
For this tasty pasta concoction, I used chopped anchovies which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, and sautéed them with plenty of minced garlic and good olive oil. Then I added some roasted red tomatoes (deliciously packed with the antioxidant lycopene) and threw in a few salty capers into the mix (another nutrient-dense food).
The combination of all of these healthy foods made the most delicious umami taste to coat the pasta in. I know it is a cliché to say this, but even my picky eater of a 2-year-old happily picked up a roasted tomato and devoured it with glee.
I am happy to serve this anchovy spaghetti to my family knowing that this tasty pasta dish is loaded with the good stuff. Throw in some shrimp to the sauce or serve alongside some pan-seared fish and voila-dinner is served!
Anchovy Spaghetti with Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
Description
This flavourful anchovy spaghetti with roasted tomatoes and garlic recipe is a quick and healthy pasta dish that comes together in minutes. #pasta #quickmeals #familydinner #lunch #healthyrecipes
Ingredients
1.2 kg ( a little over 2 1/2 lbs) fresh red tomatoes
6 cloves of garlic (minced)
6 fillets of anchovies (minced)
1 tsp dried oregano
150 ml / 5 oz extra virgin olive oil
1–2 tsp capers (optional)
500 g spaghetti
grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 450 F / 230 C.
Wash tomatoes and remove the core.
Place in a baking tray and roast in the oven for 20-30 minutes or until soft and skin breaks.
Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to boil and cook spaghetti until al dente or preferred consistency.
Once finished roasting, let tomatoes cool to the touch then peel off the skin and roughly chop up.
In a large saucepan, add minced garlic, minced anchovies, olive oil and dried oregano and cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant. Be watchful, stir continuously and don’t let the garlic burn!
Add chopped roasted tomatoes, stir and cook on medium-high heat for 7-10 minutes.
If you are adding capers, add them now. If not continue cooking until all flavors have married together.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Drain pasta and toss in the sauce. Serve with a sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese and a crisp white wine.
Notes
Always make sure to salt your pasta water! My recommendation is to add 1 tbsp sea salt to every 2 liters of water right after water boils and before adding pasta.
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 15
- Category: Main, Pasta
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keywords: spaghetti, pasta, tomato, garlic, anchovy, capers, olive oil, healthy, Mediterranean, quick, easy, family meals
Love anything anchovy? Try these recipes:
Anchovy Pasta with Parmesan Breadcrumbs
Slow Roasted Pork Belly with Chorizo Cassoulet
