Description
A flavorful pasta dish featuring caramelised red onions and anchovies, tossed with pappardelle and topped with a fresh lemony gremolata. The slow-cooked onions add sweetness and depth while the anchovies lend a savory umami punch, all balanced by the bright, herby gremolata.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 red onions, thinly sliced
- 200g pappardelle (or any long pasta)
- 2 anchovy fillets in oil, drained
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
Gremolata
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 15g parsley, roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Caramelise the onions: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced red onions with a large pinch of salt. Cook over medium-low heat for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring often, until the onions become golden and caramelised.
- Prepare the gremolata: While the onions cook, combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, roughly chopped parsley, finely chopped garlic, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Mix well and set aside to let the flavors meld.
- Cook the pasta: Boil the pappardelle according to the package instructions. Before draining, reserve 120ml of the pasta cooking water to use in the sauce.
- Add anchovies and tomato purée: Once the onions are caramelised, add the drained anchovy fillets to the pan. Stir them into the onions until they dissolve completely. Then, add 2 tablespoons of tomato purée and approximately 15 twists of black pepper (about ½ teaspoon). Cook this mixture for 4 to 5 minutes until it darkens and thickens slightly.
- Toss pasta with sauce: Add the cooked pappardelle and the 120ml reserved pasta water to the pan with the onion and anchovy sauce. Stir everything together well so the pasta is evenly coated with the sauce.
- Serve with gremolata: Transfer the pasta to a serving platter and spoon the fresh gremolata over the top just before serving for a bright, fresh finish.
Notes
- Cooking the onions slowly is key to developing their natural sweetness and achieving perfect caramelisation.
- Anchovies dissolve into the sauce, adding savory depth without a fishy taste.
- Reserve some pasta water as it helps loosen the sauce and bind it to the pasta.
- Gremolata adds a fresh, zesty contrast to the rich pasta.
- You can substitute pappardelle with any long pasta such as tagliatelle or fettuccine.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: caramelised onion pasta, anchovy pasta, pappardelle recipe, Italian pasta, gremolata pasta, easy pasta dishes
