What Type Of Anchovies Should I Use For The Gemelli With Anchovies?

Our answer

Nigella's Gemelli With Anchovies, Tomatoes And Mascarpone (from AT MY TABLE) is a fast pasta dish where the sauce can be assembled as the pasta cooks. The sauce contains chopped anchovies. The savouriness of the anchovies is balanced by the sweetness of the cherry tomatoes and mellowed by the creamy mascarpone.

Anchovies are small, oily fish and are most usually sold in two forms: marinated and salted cured/canned. Marinated anchovies (also known as boquerones) are fresh anchovies that are cured with acidic ingredients, such as vinegar and lemon juice, and then marinated with olive oil and various combinations of garlic and herbs. They are usually eaten as an appetizer or with tapas. Anchovies can also be cured by being packed in salt. They may be sold in the salt, in which case you need to rinse and soak them before using. More commonly the salt-cured anchovies will be rinsed and then canned in oil before being sold. The salt-cured anchovies have a much more intense flavour and are often added to dishes to give a savoury, umami hit. In the Gemelli With Anchovies, Tomatoes and Mascarpone the anchovy fillets are the type that have been salted and then packed in oil and are sold in small tins. Drain the oil from the anchovies before you use them. If the anchovies are packed in olive oil then you could use this as part of the 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the recipe.