PASTA WITH MARINATED ANCHOVIES
gremolata, brown rice spaghetti, cured egg yolk
The narrative of this dish began in Italy.
I was inspired by the small jars of oil-cured anchovies swimming in parsley and garlic I had at Osteria Murrivechia in Bra. This Northern-Italian style cafe was archetypal: a multi-dining room converted farmhouse with antique wood tables and servers in linen aprons spooning chestnut risotto out of steaming hot crocks. Quite romantic.
The prep for this dish began more out of necessity than desire: I was leaving for the holidays and had a few bunches of fresh herbs and loose egg yolks to use up. I minced and mixed the cilantro and parsley with olive oil, and froze them in an ice cube tray, and cured the egg yolks with salt and sugar (see earlier post).
To make the marinated anchovies/gremolata:
Mix two generous handfuls of fresh, lemony herbs (I like cilantro and parsley) with a bit of salt and olive oil and a big clove of garlic. Mince finally with a mortar and pestle. I didn’t have one, so I just used a chef’s knife and a little repetition. You’ll want the mixture to mimic the texture of pesto.
Place into a clean jar and add in the anchovies. You could use fresh for this, but I took a short cut and just added a tin of oil-packed anchovies instead. Simple. Top the whole mess off with a generous pour of olive oil – you’ll want the mixture to be fully covered. Feel free to use your good olive oil here, since it will eventually turn into your sauce. Let sit at room temperature for a few days to infuse before storing in the fridge.
To assemble the pasta above, simply toss your favorite shape (since this sauce is loose, I like using a longer shape, like spaghetti, tagliatelle, or fettuccine) with a generous dollop of the marinated anchovies and a spoonful of pasta water. Top with grated cured egg yolk. Parmigiano-reggiano would be lovely on top of here in place of the yolk, or perhaps alongside if you’re feeling extra luxurious.
