The lowly anchovy. It’s the poor little fish that everyone loves to hate. It’s avoided, plucked off Caesar salads, scraped off pizzas, and incites miserable faces. There is even a restaurant in Tucson called No Anchovies! However, this little fish is a powerhouse of flavor, available in several very different forms, and can be used in many ways… without anyone ever knowing it.
One of our favorites is Bigoli in Salsa, which we first had in Venice. The anchovy is melted into olive oil and sliced onions creating one of the most addictive and flavorful pasta sauces we know, with only three ingredients. Anchovies are also used in the Seafood Pie post last month and, again, are a nice source of umami. They also make an appearance in my Salsa Verde and Tuna Pâté. A few anchovies is all it takes.
Occasionally I try to outwit the nose-wrinklers by serving white anchovies. These are not the familiar intensely-salted kind, but rather fresh and bright silver, lightly flavored with olive oil, acid (vinegar or lemon juice), and sometimes a sprinkling of oregano. Our eyes (and palates) were opened to these flavorful little fresh anchovies in 2002 when we were in Corniglia (Cinque Terre). We ordered a “tris” (trio) of anchovies and were presented with a quartet—chef’s whim, I guess. Three preparations started with the familiar salted variety. The fourth was fresh white anchovies. We were blown away.
Many years later, our friends Donna and Greg introduced us to yet another form of anchovies, when they gave us a bottle of colatura di alici. I would describe it as an anchovy extract. Markipedia likens in to the garum of Ancient Rome, and it is not entirely dissimilar to the fish pastes of Southeast Asian cookery. No matter which way it is described, I am sure the sound of it alone has anchovy detractors fleeing.
And yet, as a flavor enhancer, it is out of this world. I have used it this way for years since. Recently I came across this recipe in Cucchiaio d’Argento (online) in which it is the star ingredient. I knew immediately I had to try it. And I have to tell you—it is the bomb! Okay, it’s an anchovy bomb, but let’s not nitpick. If you hate anchovies, try to get over yourself and give these recipes a try—especially this one using the colatura di alici.
~ David
Minimally adapted from the recipe found on www.cucchiaio.it
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John / Kitchen Riffs
September 12, 2020 at 8:16 amAnchovies, (even when they’ve been “liquefied” as they are in colatura di alici) are terrific. Add in Romano and red pepper and I’m in heaven. Such a simple, quick, tasty recipe. Pure goodness — thanks.
Cocoa & Lavender
September 12, 2020 at 8:35 pmIt really is all that you say, John… simple, quick, and tasty!
Christina Conte
September 12, 2020 at 8:27 amI discovered this colatura last year when I was in Southern Italy and wish I would have thought to buy some! I’ve never had the white anchovies, but admit, I can only take anchovies in small doses. My dad on the other hand makes spaghetti with anchovies whenever he can (he even did a video for me)! It’s pretty funny as he has a strong Scottish accent and is making a very Italian dish 🙂 This looks really good, David! Thanks for sharing (love Il Cucchiaio d’Argento.) 🙂
Cocoa & Lavender
September 12, 2020 at 8:36 pmYou might really like the white anchovies, Christina — they are so different from the other styles.
I’m heading over to see the video of your father — sounds incredibly fun!
Nick Adamakis
September 12, 2020 at 9:15 amLove it, where can we get a quality colatura and is there any particular brand you’d recommend? Thanks David!
Cocoa & Lavender
September 12, 2020 at 8:37 pmHi Nick — great to hear from you! The brand I have isn’t available online (at least I can’t find it) but there are quite a few out there. I’d recommend one that says it is from Cetara. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
2pots2cook
September 12, 2020 at 9:22 amGarum it is ! Pasty and garum are perfect match ! Pinned with pleasure !
Cocoa & Lavender
September 12, 2020 at 8:38 pmYou will love it, Davorka!
Hasin
September 12, 2020 at 10:49 amDavid,
Your closing statement saying “get over yourself if you hate anchovies” is staring at me. I’m one off those who wanted some more encouragement to try this bomb! Thanks for an amazing recipe!
Cocoa & Lavender
September 12, 2020 at 8:39 pmI hope you like it, Hasin — I am impressed by your willingness to give it a try!
Eha Carr
September 12, 2020 at 6:09 pmInteresting homework ahead ! I have eaten and loved anchovies all my life and hardly a week goes by even now when they are not in use. Raw. Pickled in spicy brine. Southern European style in oil. The pickled kind still often forms part of my breakfast atop hardboiled egg or egg salad atop black bread . Years ago a food blogger interested in history taught me about garum but I have never encountered colatura !! Imagine I would love it and daresay it will be available here even if on line. Your dish looks hugely appetizing and easy to make . . . here we go . . .
Cocoa & Lavender
September 12, 2020 at 8:40 pmI can’t wait to hear what you think of this, Eha! We just love it.
Eha Carr
September 12, 2020 at 9:18 pm*smile!* I better love it too ! Oh so many on line Italian grocers seem to keep the product – a 100 ml bottle at $A30 – 85 + freight ! Hmm . . . wonder what the city restaurants charge per helping . . . ?
David Scott Allen
September 12, 2020 at 9:24 pmWow! That is outrageous. It’s easily found for $22 US here on Amazon.
Frank Fariello
September 13, 2020 at 5:05 amSounds marvellous, David. I’m a fellow anchovy fan, as you know. Even as I kid, I could eat them straight out of the can or jar. And I never did get all the hate out there for these little flavor bombs.
Funny thing, I stupidly never tried bigoli in salsa in Venice. Can you believe it?
Cocoa & Lavender
September 13, 2020 at 2:13 pmYes, as you are an anchovy fan, I am surprised you didn’t have bigoli in salsa in Venice. Such a wonderful dish.
The nice thing I have seen in the past couple of days is that so many people DO like anchovies. I think I choose my friends well.
Raymund
September 13, 2020 at 1:05 pmCant agree more, anchovies pack a lot of flavour. in fact we use it in a lot of Filipino dishes too but to pack even more deliciousness on it we ferment it. BTW I learned from an Italian friend of mine that the secret to a good marinara is adding one or two anchovies on it, since then I do it and it brings out a lot of flavours, is this true? Anyways since then I cant make marinara without it, tomatoes and anchovies are a natural source of MSG so its a no brainer.
Cocoa & Lavender
September 13, 2020 at 2:14 pmThanks so much for that tip Raymund – I had never head of putting an anchovy or two in marinara sauce, but it makes perfect sense. I will definitely be trying that.
Gerlinde
September 13, 2020 at 1:34 pmOh David, how I wish I could be in the Cinque Terre right now walking from village to village and eating delicious pasta served with a red wine. I love anchovies , your pasta looks so good.
Cocoa & Lavender
September 13, 2020 at 2:15 pmAnd I wish we were there walking beside you, Gerlinde – some day soon, I am sure…
Vance Morgan and Anne Morgan
September 13, 2020 at 2:09 pmAnne and I love anchovies in any color or form, and will certainly try some of your suggestions.
We did think of you last evening when we had another of your pasta dishes – Pasta wth Apricots, Shallots and Rosemary; not only unusual, but delicious.
Cheers
Vance and Anne
Cocoa & Lavender
September 13, 2020 at 2:16 pmThanks, Vance – I am so glad you and Anne like that pasta with apricots. Definitely not the usual sauce but so good. I hope you get a chance to get some colatura di alici and try this – it is fantastic.
Karen (Back Road Journal)
September 14, 2020 at 7:33 amI think I may have to add a little bottle of colatura di alici to our pantry as your pasta dish does sound very good. I have many recipes where I use anchovies or anchovy paste in a cooked dish and love the added flavor they impart. While I like them cooked, I am one of the ones who doesn’t like them whole. My husband on the other hand loves them, especially the white ones. When dining out, I always ask that anchovies be left off my Caesar salad but then my husband asks the waiter if he would be so kind as to add my rejected anchovies to the ones he wants on his salad. 😀
Cocoa & Lavender
September 16, 2020 at 8:20 amThe colatura di alici is perfect for people who don’t love the whole anchovies! I am like your husband – I always ask for people’s anchovies when they have them left off.
Jeff the Chef
September 14, 2020 at 8:30 amDavid, that pasta looks so delicious, I want to reach right through the screen and grab a bite. I love how simply elegant it is.
Cocoa & Lavender
September 16, 2020 at 8:21 amThanks, Jeff – I love dishes like this that create that sense of simple elegance with little to no effort!
sippitysup
September 14, 2020 at 5:31 pmI make a similar dish and feel similarly about its lovely savoriness! I’ve been known to substitute Asian fish sauce for the colatura. Though it’s hard to tell too much a difference in taste the name “nam bplah” doesn’t quite roll off the tongue like “Colatura di Alici”! GREG
Cocoa & Lavender
September 16, 2020 at 8:22 amI need to do a side-by-side tasting of the two, as I use Vietnamese fish sauce all the time – but it has never crossed the border into Italy. And it is definitely much more fun to say – nay, sing – colatura di alici!
Judee
September 15, 2020 at 3:21 amMy husband is a big anchovy fan. It’s his favorite topping on pizza. I’ll have to tell him about the colatura. It’s new to both of us! Your pasta dish sounds amazing!
Cocoa & Lavender
September 16, 2020 at 8:23 amI, too, love them on pizzas – but I am often alone in that realm! I hope you both like the colatura di alici, Judee – let me know if you get some!
Ron
September 17, 2020 at 5:16 amDavid, anchovies in all shapes and forms work for me. I love this dish, although I usually make it with strand pasta. Rigatoni sounds to be a good choice as you have move surface area to soak up the juices of the recipe. We’re lucky here as colatura di alici is not as expensive here as it is over your way. I recently bought (online) a bottle of Sicilian Garum for SEK165 (about $18US). I guess the difference is in the freight. I’ve also used it on grilled fish as well as pork, but really enjoy a drop or two in a Ceasar salad. Thanks for the wonderful image and great recipe.
Cocoa & Lavender
September 17, 2020 at 8:34 amI never thought to look for garum when I was in Sicily – is it similar to colatura di alici? And now I will need to try this with pork – never thought of that! Thank you for that tidbit, Ron – I always learn so much from you.
Ellen S
September 18, 2020 at 7:13 amIt’s hard not to want to try a dish that sounds like the name of an opera singer! If I can find a jar of this little treasure I will be making it soon… and no doubt adding it to the list of Cocoa and Lavender success stories!
David Scott Allen
September 18, 2020 at 10:39 pmThanks, Ellen — do you have an Eataly near you? They carry the Colatura di Alici, or it is readily available online. I hope you can find some! Thanks for your comment.
Valentina
September 20, 2020 at 8:57 pmBefore I even got down to this comment area, I jumped to Amazon and ordered a bottle of Colatura di Alici. Can’t wait to get it. I love anchovies (especially white anchovies). We have a friend, who as a rule, doesn’t eat “little salty fish,” and we are forever joking about it.
Lovely recipe! 🙂 ~Valentina
Cocoa & Lavender
September 24, 2020 at 5:07 pmIn the words of Britney Spears, “Oops, I did it again….” I have you buying new ingredients! You will love it, Valentina – and you will love this dish. We made it with quinoa pasta one night and that was a great combination.
Sherry
September 21, 2020 at 1:03 pmI am definitely on team anchovy David. And i do enjoy those pretty little white ones which are so smooth and tasty. Great dish you have here. Cheers
Sherry
Cocoa & Lavender
September 24, 2020 at 5:08 pmBut I bey hubby isn’t on the same team… 🙁 Still, you should have a bottle for the times you can make yourself something!
Kelly | Foodtasia
September 22, 2020 at 12:10 pmSuch an elegant pasta dish, David! Anchovies get an unfairly bad rap. I think people hate them without ever tasting them. I sneak them into sauces and my kids love it, but they would never even taste it if they knew it had anchovies inside. I’ll have to try this colatura di alici. It’s even sneakier!
Cocoa & Lavender
September 24, 2020 at 5:09 pmThat is the funny thing about anchovies, Kelly – they are so easily hidden! I like being a sneak.
Marcelle
September 25, 2020 at 3:43 pmI love simple pasta dinners like this one, David and I really like the essence of anchovies in certain dishes like Ceasar dressing, but I’m not keen on eating the actual little fish LOL I just looked up the colatura di alici on Amazon, I’ve never heard of it before, but I think it is something we would use as a flavor enhancer around here. Thank you for the recommendation and this was a fun read, my friend!! xo
Cocoa & Lavender
September 28, 2020 at 9:12 amSo this dish is perfect for you – not little fishes in the kitchen! (How often could I use THAT pun???)
Inger @ Art of Natural Living
September 27, 2020 at 7:31 pmI count growing up in a family of anchovy lovers as one of my blessings David! Not sure if I can find the colatura di alici in the pandemic (especially since I’m holed up out in the country) but I’ll have to give it a try!
Cocoa & Lavender
September 28, 2020 at 9:13 amUnless you have a really goot Italian gourmet shop, I can’t imagine anyone having the colatura di alici – again, mail order is our best friend!
Twists and Turns – Cocoa & Lavender
June 5, 2021 at 7:00 am[…] adds incredible umami to many dishes, and can even be the star of the show, as it was for my post Little Fish, Big Flavor featuring Rigatoni con Colatura di Alici. I know several of you bought the sauce for that recipe, so here is another great way to use it. […]