I absolutely love humble fish— with just a few coins you can make amazing dishes. I remember when I was a child and the Soviet Union still existed, people didn’t have many options, and Sophia Loren became a sensation with a cookbook full of recipes featuring inexpensive fish.
And today, I feel a bit like Sophia myself with a dish that brings back so many memories of places and flavors. Freshly caught anchovies are fantastic and speak of a seafaring tradition that might be a bit too forgotten nowadays.
Everyone’s raving about Cantabrian anchovies, but in my opinion, nothing beats Anzio. Anzio is the ultimate place for anchovies preserved in oil, and for certain dishes, they’re simply irreplaceable.
But now it’s time for the freshly caught ones, still referred to as “bluefish.” At the market stalls in Via Trionfale, the anchovies appear plump and shiny, their flesh rich with noble oils that we all grew up on.
It’s an extremely delicate fish that spoils quickly—watch out at the market, which is full of preserved products. But I don't fall for the crooks’ tricks.
Anchovies are delicious fried, marinated, with tomato, in small bakes—really, however you like them. Unfortunately, raw is no longer an option because of the high risk of Anisakis, and if you buy frozen ones, they’re literally disgusting.
Here’s a simple, quick pasta to make right after coming back from the beach: garlic, olive oil, chili pepper in a pan, and during the tossing, we add freshly cleaned anchovies and spicy provolone cheese.
Recipe for Pasta with Anchovies from Anzio and Spicy Provolone
Clean the anchovies by hand: remove the head and gently pull out the guts and spine under a light stream of water. A gesture we've all seen our mothers and grandmothers do a thousand times.
In a pan, add garlic, oil, and parsley stems, which you remove almost immediately. When the spaghetti is ready, put it straight into the pan with the anchovies—they cook in a flash.
Finish with a sprinkle of spicy provolone and parsley, which apparently is back in style.
I had a glass of Lugana in hand, and I have to admit—I really enjoyed it!
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