Spaghetti in pizzaiola sauce

Method

1. Finely chop the onion and the garlic cloves.
2. Put them in a high-sided frying-pan together with 4 tbsp. of oil and sauté until the onion becomes transparent.
3. Add the chopped anchovies and mix using a wooden ladle.
4. Add the tomato pulp and a ladle of hot water.
5. Partially cover the pan and cook for 15 minutes.
6. In the meanwhile, bring salted water to a boil and start cooking the spaghetti.
7. Uncover the frying-pan, add olives and capers to the tomato sauce and let it reduce.
8. Enhance its flavour by adding freshly chopped oregano, a bit of red hot chilli pepper and salt to your taste.
9. Drain the spaghetti before it's overcooked, dress with the sauce and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Chef's tip

If you like it spicy, drizzle your sauce with some Filippo Berio chilly flavoured extra virgin olive oil instead of using the regular one.

Serving suggestion

Serve with delicate vegetables or fish-based dishes.

Wine selection

Calasole Vermentino Maremma Toscana DOC, Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Extra Dry Prestige 1821, Müller Thurgau Frizzante delle Venezie IGT, Merlot or Chianti.

Family tip

If you don't like the idea of finding anchovy bits in your pizzaiola sauce, just replace the fillets with Delicius anchovy paste!

Dish history

Pizzaiola sauce is a typical pasta dressing, the everyday answer to the 'Sunday lunch Bolognese sauce'. Although its history is not certain, experts agree that it was created in the Neapolitan area and that it takes its name after the pizza makers ('pizzaioli'), who used to flavour the original Pizza only with garlic, oregano and tomatoes. Traditionally used to cook meat, the Pizzaiola sauce was then used to dress pasta, creating a great first course. Its secret lies in high-quality ingredients and simplicity: garlic, oregano, chili, extra virgin olive oil and ripe tomatoes. A mix of Mediterranean aromas!