Fast Tomato Sauce With Anchovies

• servings: 4 (1 lb pasta)
• total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon minced garlic

4 to 6 anchovy fillets, with some of their oil

1 28-ounce can tomatoes, crushed or chopped and drained of their juice

Salt and fresh-ground black pepper

Directions

Step 1

Put the olive oil in a deep skillet, and turn the heat to medium. A minute later, add the garlic and the anchovies, and stir. When the garlic sizzles and the anchovies break up, add the tomatoes.

Step 2

Turn heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture becomes saucy, about 15 minutes. Season to taste, and serve with spaghetti or other long pasta. Grated pecorino Romano cheese goes well with this sauce.

Notes

Despite their reputation, anchovies are not overpowering, at least once cooked. Used with garlic as the start of a fast pasta sauce, they dissolve almost instantly and add a mysteriously meaty complexity that makes the sauce seem as if it had simmered for hours. Tossed with linguine and arugula, they make a simple dish sophisticated. If you're feeding a crowd, it doubles or triples beautifully.