Provencal Pasta With Basil And Anchovy

Total Time: 25 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh coarse ground black pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
• 12 anchovy fillets, drained (if using salt-packed anchovies, use 6 and split each one after saoking off the excess salt)
• 1 cup fresh basil leaf, packed
• 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lb dry pasta (penne, farfalle or the like)
• freshly grated parmesan cheese

Recipe

• 1 bring a large pot of generously salted water to a full boil and add the pastam cooking tll al dente (for penne, about 12 minutes).
• 2 on a cutting board, sprinkle the crushed garlic cloves with the salt and pepper.
• 3 using the back of a fork, mash the garlic into a paste.
• 4 add the anchovies and keep mashing.
• 5 scrape the paste into a mortar, add the basil, and begin pounding with a wooden pestle until the mixture resembles a puree.
• 6 now, add the oil slowly, pounding all the while with your pestle.
• 7 note: you can do this in a blender or food processor, but purists (like myself) will tell you that the pistou will not taste or look the same if the basil is chopped with a blade.
• 8 when your pasta is ready, place your serving bowl (heat-proof)in the sink.
• 9 drain your pasta, allowing the pasta water to warm your serving bowl.
• 10 place the pasta in the bowl, add the pistou and toss well.
• 11 serve accompanied by freshly grated parmesan cheese.