Would it be too much to ask that you list the amount of shallots to be use. Who knows what "large" means? Isn't there a food section editor with a kitchen scale?
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@Don She *did* link to the recipe, so you could—and I’m just spitballing here—refer to that.
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Has anyone had any luck swapping out the anchovies for anything else? I have an allergy, but would live to still try this is there’s any good substitution!!
Thank you!!
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Some people posted about using Kalamata olive tapenade/paste or sundried tomatoes in place of anchovies, seemed promising. Was thinking of trying myself
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The first time I made this dish I thought it looked like I was just making a mess in the pan. But then added the pasta water and something wonderful happened, an amazing sauce!
I wanted to make this for the second time tonight and clicked on the recipe, but my free trial is over so couldn't access. Made it anyway from memory from the first time and once again loved this recipe. Won't be able to see recipes now, but wanted to say Thank You! It's delicious and easy and inexpensive and satisfying ~ and I'll make it forever!
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NEVER have I ever added ANCHOVIES to pasta, or anything else for that matter!!! Well, you just don't know what you don't know until you try it! Doubled the recipe for my family of 4 to have more sauce to put aside and sure am glad I did! Anchovies will now become a staple in my pantry. Thank you for broadening my horizons!
(BTW.... made your cookies "that broke the internet" for my mother in law's nurses in France and they were a HUGE hit!)
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I like spicy foods, but the amount of red pepper flakes called for in the recipe overwhelms all the other ingredients. I'd recommend cutting the red pepper in half (at least).
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Have you ever tried or heard of Sardella?
Sardella, is an equivalent of N’duja, made not with pork products, but with immature sardines. Sardella is a thick, deep red spread, combining the immature sardines with wild fennel, Calabrian chili peppers, and salt.
Sardella is famous throughout Calabria. If you are ever in the province of Crotone, and near the town of Crucoli, this is a must try.
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How many shallots in this recipe?
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I pretty much made this as written. The recipe doesn't specify a type of pasta. I used gemelli and the sauce stuck to it very well. I absolutely love this sauce. I can't wait to use the rest of the sauce.
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Wow! I actually followed the recipe as written and I loved the result. I am not really a food poster but this was sort of seismic ( if something can be sort of seismic) so I felt obliged to let the world know. And I am sure that no vampire will now cross my threshold, even if I inadvertently invite one to enter.
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I didn’t have anchovies in the pantry, so I made this dish last night with canned mackerel and very good, recently-bottled olive oil instead. I’m sure it didn’t have the savory body of the original version, but it was still so delicious that my partner stopped mid-sentence after his first bite, looked at me and said, “This is [expletive] amazing!” It was every flavor you want amped up to 10: sweet, savory, rich, allium-y and spicy all at once. I’ll definitely make the real version as soon as some anchovies show up in my pantry (as they tend to do).
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It was not a hit.
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Wondering how to "veganize" this -- what could replace anchovies?
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Kelly- in many trattorias outside of Bologna, Italy. Tagliatelle al cipolla (onions) is common, and delicious. I’m sure shallots as a stand alone will work just fine.
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@Kelly I just made this, went by the recipe ~ but I think you could use capers instead of anchovies
@Kelly Also think you could use chopped black olives instead of anchovies
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I want to make this dish but I dont have pasta. Can I substitute a loaf of bread for it ?
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@Nicolas Look no further than a few paragraphs into the article and you have an answer. :-)
"The end result was a deeply savory, very sticky, fiery neon-orange paste that I quickly realized I wanted in my life all the time, pasta or not. I did want to coat pasta in it, but I also wanted to smear it onto thick, oily toast, spoon it over my fried eggs, or drag roasted chicken through it. I wanted it in a jar kept in my fridge forever."
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Would someone let me know how to make this? Thank you!
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@Nicolas Thank you! I may making this as my Super Bowl potluck donation tomorrow. :)
@Peppa_D what am I missing? So many people asking for specific quantities of ingredients when the recipe is included!!
@Peppa_D
Happy to help !
INGREDIENTS
1 large bunch (or 2 small bunches) broccoli rabe or kale, thick stems separated from the leaves
¼ cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 medium red or yellow onion, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and black pepper
2 to 3 tablespoons harissa or tomato paste
Red-pepper flakes (optional)
3 (15-ounce) cans large white beans, such as cannellini, butter or great Northern, drained and rinsed
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 preserved lemon, thinly sliced, or 1 lemon, halved, for squeezing
2 ounces feta or other salty cheese, such as queso fresco or pecorino, crumbled
1 cup parsley or cilantro, leaves and tender stems
Fried or medium-boiled eggs, for serving (optional)
Add to Your Grocery List
PREPARATION
Tear broccoli rabe or kale leaves into bite-size pieces and set aside. Chop the stems into about 1/4-inch pieces; set aside.
Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add garlic and onion, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and sizzled at the edges, 4 to 6 minutes.
Add harissa (or tomato paste and a pinch of red-pepper flakes), and stir to coat in the oil. Cook until the harissa is a nice brick red color, the sugars start to caramelize and the oil turns a nice vibrant fiery orange color, about 2 minutes.
Add beans, and season with salt and pepper. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, crush a few beans to release their creamy interior.
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Is that homemade pici pasta I see?
"I don’t take requests for recipes" -- right you are, Dear Author. Thise who want to be fed from ready-made recipes should consult the books by Taillevent, Escoffier, and even Julia Child.
The sub-head, intro and tone in this article were really off-putting and, yes, harsh. I wanted a break from my day to look at a recipe to make tonight. I got served a plate of condescension. Silly ungrateful me. I had no idea that readers are so pesky and bothersome.
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@J Had the exact opposite reaction. I found this refreshing -- and the explanation gave added context to her recommendation that I want this.
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@J , my reaction, too. I can't watch her videos for that reason, but sometimes the recipes are worth trying. The white beans with broccoli rabe was a good one
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@J no kidding! I don't know Alison Roman so not sure why she's so high and mighty. Certainly never occurred to me to request a recipe from her -- the web has perhaps 14 Billion recipes that can be searched if I need something specific. The only point in all huffing and puffing about how she's coming off a mountain-top to deliver this one recipe (I'm guessing she's paid for doing a column like this, no?) is to virtue signal about her superiority.
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For those asking for a superior brand of anchovy, I find the very best of anchovies in olive oil are Ortiz from Spain. They come in a small jar.
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Ahhh this is exactly what I have in my shopping basket, and was just walking around the market debating if it would be worth the $13 (AUD). I’ll take this as a yes.
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I’m curious about where the stovetop photos were taken. That looks like a classic, rental apartment stove (kind of nice to to see something so middlebrow, in these days of high end kitchens). But there is a prop stylist listed for the shots, so is this a Times test kitchen, or is it someone’s home?
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I believe the photos are taken in her apartment, which apparently has a very small kitchen. Super charming and relatable!
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@Passion for Peaches There was a great article in the NYTimes in November about Ms. Roman preparing Thanksgiving dinner in her small apartment kitchen https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/dining/alison-roman-thanksgiving.html?smid=yt-nytfood&smtyp=cur
You'd be impressed with the "middlebrow-ness" of it. And if you have time to watch, scroll down to the bottom of the page where you'll find a delightful 40 minute video of her preparing the entire meal over three days in the small space.
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An entire tube of tomato paste! Take care to note that some brands are double concentrated, and some are normal strength.
If I were using such a concentrated sauce, I would use it like a jarred pesto, which is to say that I would thin out a spoonful with a splash of olive oil.
For those who aren’t mad about using so many anchovies, I think that a can of Italian tuna in olive oil (drained) would produce a milder version of this, with the same characteristics. But I might add some finely chopped parsley when tossing the tuna version with pasta.
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BTW, I do see what appears to be parsley in the top photo. I cannot access the recipe because I don’t subscribe.
Marcella Hazan has a marvelous tuna sauce recipe that starts with a reduced sauce of garlic and tomato, with some butter for extra richness. Then you add a can of Italian tuna, and cook that briefly, then toss with your pasta and a generous amount of parsley and black pepper. It is a comforting dish that reminds me of tuna casserole from my childhood. In a good way.
I see what appears to be a grating of cheese on that perciatelli. Cheese never goes on pasta with a fish sauce!
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@Passion for Peaches
From the recipe:
"and season with flaky salt and pepper."
What you are seeing is salt, not cheese. And, she tells you to chop garlic and parsley to top it.
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This is the basic trinity formula for happiness, Olive oil, garlic, anchovies, (and sometimes capers, ether browned to crunchy awesomeness or not, and red pepper for those late night adventures). Pasta, Salmon, whatever, this goes well with or without the tomato. Always a great thing when you have "nothing in the kitchen" but I always have these basics for such emergencies of comfort food for true friends. BTW, always your favorite, no blend, red wine makes life even better....
Awesome stuff.
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Alison, you are a superstar! Totally understand not taking requests! Thank goodness you allowed exception in this case, how could this not be great with all that? The super deal about cooking pasta is just how easy it is to go off the reservation and try whatever sounds like it might be good.
Fun, good, and so wine friendly.
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When I make this (and I will!) I'll probably just serve it with angel hair or vermicelli.
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@JessiePearl : Something much more robust like spaghettoni or bucatini would be better. Vermicelli are too delicate for a a think, robust sauce like this.
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@JessiePearl I think you'll find a sauce like this is better paired with a thicker pasta like pici or bucatini
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@JessiePearl I would have never thought of that !
This sounds like umami incarnate. I'm in. :-)
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Alison....I am obsessed with your recipes and cooking videos. This looks absolutely and simply decadent. Thank you. Cannot wait to try this!!
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Kind of like puttanesca sauce, isn't it.
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Exactly what I thought - this is a puttanesca!
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A simple masterpiece - it is going on my list of soon-to-make dishes. Thank you.
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I may never make it - being all alone now. With a requirement to eat here in this retirement community.
But I’ve bookmarked it! And I feel almost as if I’ve “tasted” it. And I’ll probably pass it along to my 50 year old son. Whose favorite food is pasta! (He has a labor-intensive job and needs lots of carbs to keep going.)
Thanks!
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@TheraP When he makes this dish would be the perfect time to have you over for dinner :)
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@TheraP, have your son cook it up and bring you a plate.
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@TheraP Make it with your son!
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What does -y stand for?
I admire Ms. Roman's inventive culinary spirit, but I dislike flat or sylindrical noodles with tomato sauce.
@Tuvw Xyz She was going for tomato-ey and shallot-ey, meaning it was tomato and shallot rich. Hope that helps .
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Maybe that's a lesson for everyone, that the best dishes are of few ingredients that often turn out better than they should be, given the few ingredients involved... honestly.
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@Christopher Lee
One of the best meals I ever had was in a tiny roadside restaurant in Spain: great bread; simple tasty salad with excellent olive oil etc; strips of Jamon Serrano; fried eggs and fried potatoes; fruit for desert.
Simple, fresh ingredients, well presented. You can’t ask for more!
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@TheraP
A Greek salad: spinach, the freshest reddest tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, a hearty slice of feta sprinkled with basil and pepper, olive oil and wine vinegar (not balsamic) in the Plaka neighborhood in Athens at the foot of the Acropolis. Nothing will ever taste as good.
Let’s be honest, it wasn’t just the ingredients ;)
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This looks delicious, but I'm unfamiliar with that kind of pasta. It's obviously not spaghetti. This is thicker.
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It’s like a tubular pasta.
I believe perciatelli is another name for bucatini, or they are at least interchangeable. The brand De Cecco should carry it in most speciality stores like Whole Foods. It is a very thick pasta with holes pierced through the center for sauce to work through the noodle. If you can’t find it I would think any long, flat or round pasta would work well with this sauce though — spaghetti, linguine, fettuccine...
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@lillybeth0
Perciatelli is a thick hollow spaghetti, perfect for some dishes, but messy to eat as it is difficult to twirl on a fork. Still, give it a try and wear a bib.
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