Pasta with Preserved Lemon and Anchovies

Anchovy and Preserved-Lemon Pasta
Photo: Marcus Nilsson
Prep Time:
15 mins
Total Time:
15 mins
Yield:
4 to 6 Serves

Two store-bought pantry ingredients are the stars of this quick weeknight supper: sunny preserved lemons and meaty anchovies. Parmesan cheese brings out the umami flavor of the little fish, while a handful of parsley adds just the right amount of freshness.

Ingredients

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

  • 12 ounces long pasta, such as spaghetti or linguine

  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving

  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic (from 5 to 6 cloves)

  • 2 tablespoons minced oil-packed anchovies (from 6 to 8)

  • ¼ cup chopped preserved lemon (from about ½ store-bought preserved lemon)

  • ¾ cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus whole leaves for garnish

  • 1 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated (½ cup packed), plus more for serving

Directions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until slightly less than al dente, about 2 minutes less than package directions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain.

  2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large straight-sided skillet over medium-high. Add garlic and anchovies and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add preserved lemon; cook 30 seconds. Add pasta and 3/4 cup pasta water; cook, stirring and shaking pan, until pasta is cooked, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat; add parsley and cheese and continue stirring and shaking pan, adding more pasta water as necessary to create a creamy sauce. Season with salt and pepper and serve with more cheese, pepper, and parsley leaves, and a drizzle of oil.

Cook's Notes

Our test kitchen's pick for store-bought preserved lemons is Les Moulins Mahjoub. Or for bonus points, make your own using Sarah's Preserved Lemons recipe.

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