In our last blog post, my sister Michele shared a bit about our trip to the tiny island of Procida during our visit to Naples in June. We had gone hoping for cooler weather and refreshing sea breezes, but the heat followed us across the water. What we did find, though, was a little gem of a seaside restaurant—Ristorante da Maria alla Corricella. Sitting at a table just a few steps from the water, with boats rocking gently in the harbor, almost made us believe it was cooler than it really was.
As I scanned the menu, one dish jumped off the page at me: spaghetti with anchovies, lemon and Pecorino Romano. The combination sounded simple but surprising, like the perfect “kiss of summer.” Light, bright, and somehow exactly what you want for a midday meal on a hot afternoon.
Now, if you’ve spent any time in Italy, you’ll know that seafood and cheese are not usually friends. Pairing the two is considered almost sacrilegious–the “third rail” of Italian cooking. I tried to order a seafood appetizer followed by a meat main course in Naples during our trip, and the server looked at me as if I had personally insulted her grandmother.
But rules, as we know, always have exceptions. Anchovies seem to be one of them. They’re not treated like fish so much as pure essence–tiny bursts of salty umami that can hold their own alongside stronger flavors. Somehow, with a little lemon and a sharp edge of Pecorino, they transform from something humble into something unforgettable.
The beauty of this dish lies in its simplicity. When I got home, I couldn’t resist experimenting with it a few different ways. I found that adding the mint right at the end kept it vibrant and fresh, rather than letting it wilt and turn brown. I also finished the pasta gently over low heat with the cheese and a splash of pasta water—just as you would in a classic cacio e pepe–to give it that silky, clinging sauce. At the restaurant, they showered the plate with Pecorino, but I held back a little on the final dusting, which left the dish lighter and brighter as the lemon taste came through, more in tune with the flavors of summer.
If you’re looking for a meal to savor in these last days, give this one a try. It feels like that final kiss of summer before the season slips away.
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Spaghetti with Anchovies, Lemon, Mint and Pecorino Romano
Ingredients
- 4 dry oz spaghetti pasta
- 1 garlic clove, slightly crushed with the palm of your hand and peeled
- 4 oil packed anchovies, divided
- 1 small lemon
- Several sprigs mint
- Approx. 2 oz grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- In a frying pan large enough to to hold the cooked pasta, add 2 tbsp olive oil over medium-low heat. When warm, add the prepared garlic clove and toss around in the oil until just starting to brown. Discard garlic and remove the pan from the heat.
- Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente to taste.
- Meanwhile, into the pan with the oil, grate about ½ the lemon, add 2 of the anchovies and grind some pepper. Lightly break up the anchovies with a fork.
- When the pasta is cooked, drain, reserving some pasta water, and add to the pan. Turn the heat back on to medium low, add a little pasta water and half the cheese.Stir around in the pan until the cheese makes a creamy sauce and the lemon and anchovies are incoporated. Turn off the heat and add the some torn up mint leaves and toss.
- Serve on plates and top with more cheese, the remaining anchovies, torn mint leaves and freshly zested lemon.