This Dame Cooks A Collection of Recipes from Alaska to the South Pacific and Caribbean

This dish has old world charm and a bawdy history to boot.  It seems ladies of the evening in the brothels of Naples around the 1800s made this sauce to attract customers.  The aroma from the sauce cooling in the window would  permeate the neighborhood.  You wouldn’t have to be a customer to follow that scent…it is scrumptiously enticing to any gender.   Besides, the ladies had to eat…right?

Anchovies may not be for everyone, but in this sauce they impart an earthy flavor rather than fishy note.  The fillets melt right into the sauce to thicken the tomatoes.  The olives and capers provide a salty tartness and offsets the sweetness of the tomatoes.  This is the simplest of rustic Italian dishes.  By the time the pasta is cooked al dente the sauce is ready…dinner in less than 30 minutes…the family will rave.  Be sure to serve this with lots of Merlot, or Chianti, and ply everyone with plenty of crunchy bread sticks toasted with garlic and Parmesan.

Ingredients:

• pasta for 4
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cans diced tomatoes
• 1 can anchovy fillets
• 1-2 splashes of red wine
• dozen black Kalamata olives, seeded
• 2 Tbsp capers
• fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 2 dashes Tabasco sauce or red pepper flakes to taste
• Parmesan cheese for garnish

Method:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. In a warm skillet, pour 1 Tbsp olive oil and saute garlic for a minute.
3. Add tomatoes, cook for 2 or 3 minutes.
4. Add anchovies, break up fillets until paste results and stir into tomatoes. Splash a drop of red wine into the sauce and cook for 1 minute.
5. Add Kalamata olives, capers, and black pepper.  Simmer until pasta is ready. 
6. Toss pasta with a bit of pasta water, spoon sauce over and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.