a is for anchovy

i took the plunge!!! instead of heading straight home after jesus chicks class today, i let the bus take me down to the east side. at fortino's i rummaged around until i found anchovies in a tin.

(oh, i also picked up some actual produce, which is a lovely break from my frozen-focussed diet and will likely form the core of future posts.)

it's been a long time since i focussed on my little treehouse, so when i got home the first thing i did was clean my kitchen. ok, that's a lie: the first thing i did was sit on my kitchen floor and watch the last twenty minutes of juno. sigh :)

then, i cleaned. and theeeeen, i piled together the puttanesca ingredients. here, in quasi- sydney style, is what transpired:

with linguine or spaghetti, i have trouble tossin' it all together to really coat the pasta. last time, i made this with farfalle; today it was rotini's turn! after chopping the garlic and anchovies, i got them frying in the olive oil.
meanwhile, the raisins plumped in hot water. (i would have much preferred golden raisins here, but you gotta make lemonade, etc.) regardless of the type, the sweetness added by nature's candy is key.

the green and black olives, capers, basil, and canned diced tomatoes were on deck, and once the anchovies "dissolved" i threw everything in. the pine nuts toasted while the flavours mingled. (yes, it took two tries to toast without burning. as always.)

so, listen, some of the recipes called for a loooong simmer time, but amy's original instructions were not to cook but to heat the sauce. i split the difference and, soon enough, it was time to toss the sauce into the drained - but NOT rinsed - pasta.(lacking in the italian cheese department, i tore up some swiss cheese. less than authentic but super yummy!)

this dish continues to be phenomenal, and the anchovies did add a special touch. seriously, those hookers were onto something. try it yourself! (the dish, not prostitution, please.)

btw, in my anchovy research, i read that it's often included in sauces. you've probably been eating these fishies unawares! i guess that literally makes it the je ne sais quoi!