Pasta with Broccoli Pancetta and Anchiovies
After a trip to Rome last fall, a friend told us he was on a mission to cook with more of “those little fishes.” It sounded like a good idea—they are more sustainable than meat, have many health benefits and are packed with protein and flavor. Those little fishes are making a comeback, not only as an ingredient in cooking but also as stocking stuffers, which a New York Times piece suggested on a page picturing some artfully colorful tins. Though both sardines and anchovies are little oily fishes and are sometimes served as an appetizer on a piece of bread or a toothpick, they are very different in taste and texture, so don’t substitute one for the other! Sardines are milder, larger, lighter in color, and usually packed in oil or brine with their heads still attached, while anchovies are usually darker in color, fileted, and packed in salt and oil. The flavor of anchovies is much stronger and more often used as a flavor enhancer rather than a main ingredient. Anchovies are harder to find fresh than sardines, which are fished here in Monterey Bay. Fresh sardines are delicious barbequed if you come across them.
Even with their growing popularity, many of us are still squeamish about eating anchovies and might be surprised to find out that we are already eating them in or on some of their favorite dishes. Anchovies are in Worcestershire sauce, for example.
My own repertoire of anchovy dishes has expanded lately, and I have so far not been disappointed with the umami flavor that those little fishes provide. I hope you give this dish a try. I made a huge bowl of it and had one helping, leaving the rest for the late night snackers and a meal or two. The next day the pasta was gone, the bowl cleaned and put back in the cupboard. A good sign that it was a recipe worth keeping.
The recipe is from the cookbook Good Food written in 1985 by Daniel Halpern and Julie Strand. The recipes and ingredients come from all over the world, and it was reissued in 2018.
Serves 3-4
Adapted from the cookbook Good Food
NOTE: This recipe can be easily doubled. Don’t let the broccoli overcook. The sauce will taste a bit salty but when you add the pasta it sorts itself out. Also, any tubular pasta you use is OK. You just want the pasta to catch the sauce.
Ingredients:
3 large cloves garlic
3 anchovies filet
2 tablespoons olive oil—divided
½ tablespoon coarse salt
2 slices of thick bacon cut into lardons or 3 oz. pancetta cut into slices
1 large head of broccoli cut into small florets
½ tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
½ pound of tubular pasta- penne, fusilli, or rigatoni (I used Gigli from Trader Joe’s)
¼ cup or more of parmesan cheese grated
Directions:
Combine garlic, salt, anchovies, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in mortar and pestle, crush to a paste.
In a heavy skillet add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and cook the pancetta over medium heat until it begins to turn brown and crisp. Add the anchovy mixture. Stir for 3 minutes until the anchovies have melted into the sauce.
Add the broccoli and cook over high heat, stirring constantly so the broccoli doesn’t burn, has turned dark green, and begins to soften but still has a bit of crunch. Turn off the heat and let the broccoli mixture sit in the pan uncovered while you cook the pasta.
In a large pot add two quarts of unsalted water and the vegetable oil. Cover and bring to a boil, add the pasta, and cook till al dente— a minute or two less than the directions. Set aside ½ cup of the pasta water and drain the rest.
If the broccoli is still too crunchy add a couple tablespoons of the pasta water to the mixture and heat back up for a minute.
Add the drained pasta to a large bowl, toss with the broccoli mixture and the grated cheese and another tablespoon or two of water to coat the pasta if needed.
Serve immediately.