Tomato, Anchovy & Garlic Spelt Spaghetti

I recently was looking through old holiday snaps, and found myself looking at our holiday to Sicily a few years ago. I was 4 months pregnant in Sicily, I spent 10 days there and I came home looking about 8 months pregnant (not joking). After Argentina and South East Asia, Sicily is definitely one of the best places I've ever visited from a foodie point of view. Everything, and I mean everything I ate was absolutely delicious. One of my favourite Sicilian dishes was Pasta Con Le Sarde. It's a pasta dish like nothing you would get in Italy, with some very strong distinctive flavours; sardines, fennel, saffron, and sultanas. I found myself ordering it for lunch nearly every second day. I forgot about pasta con le sarde until recently. I noticed a lonely looking tin of John West Anchovies in my cupboard. While I didn't have any fennel, or sardines in the house; I decided to make a gutsy pasta dish with my humble tin of anchovies.

Whilst doing the weekly shop last week I spotted a packet of spelt spaghetti in the pasta aisle, I have long heard of the health benefits of spelt vs wheat; but I have never really tried any spelt products. I have tried gluten free pasta, and found it revolting. I must say I was pleasantly surprised, the texture was as normal pasta and the taste was almost the same as wholegrain pasta, just perhaps a bit nuttier. I'm a true convert, I am now excited to go buy spelt flour and see how I can integrate it into my diet instead of plain and wholemeal flour.

Anyways, on with the recipe. This is a real store cupboard meal, something you can conjure up at the end of the week when the fridge is almost empty. Just a few vine tomatoes and a clove of garlic are required for freshness, and a lemon that will help make the sauce sing. All in all this is a tangy pasta dish with a distinctive bite to it. Now I need to bulk buy anchovy tins, so this meal is always just a mere 12 minutes away

Ingredients

• 75g of spelt spaghetti (per person)
• 3-4 vine ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 6-7 black olives, pipped
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1 tin of anchovies in olive oil
• 1 tbsp of chopped flat leaf parsley
• 1 tbsp of olive oil
• Salt & pepper
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Method

1. Put the water on hob and bring to the boil. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. 
2. In a frying pan, heat the olive oil and fry the garlic for a couple of minutes.
3. Finely chop the anchovies and add to the oil. Add the tomatoes also.
4. Cook everything for a few minutes.
5. Add a few spoons of pasta water and the lemon juice.
6. Finally, half the olives and add to the sauce. 
7. Season the sauce and add the herbs.
8. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and mix well to coat every strand of spaghetti.
9. Finally, plate up and grate the Parmesan over the pasta with the preferred quantity.