One of my biggest pet peeves is having leftover ingredients from a recipe and not knowing what to do with them. I made roasted leek and garlic toasts with minced anchovy filets as part of Christmas dinner; they were delicious, but left me with a jar full of anchovies in the refrigerator. I came across this recipe in Bon Appetit and noticed that it called for a couple of my fishy friends. I was concerned that their taste would be too strong since a lot of people don’t like their very distinct flavor (they’re reminiscent of low tide), but the little guys really just round out the 8 cloves of garlic and robust tomato flavors in the dish.
The roasted garlic and leek toasts from Christmas!
Even though it’s a hearty, comforting meal, its bright scent reminds me of summer and picking tomatoes in my aunt’s garden.
INGREDIENTS:
1 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes
8 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed
2 anchovy fillets packed in oil, minced
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes plus more for serving
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 oz. bucatini or spaghetti (I’ve also used papardelle… anything that can hold up to the jammy sauce is fine)
Finely grated Parmesan or Romano (for serving)
Post-roast
DIRECTIONS:
Put on an apron– this recipe will splatter!
No really, put on an apron.
Preheat oven to 425°. Combine tomatoes (crushing them with your hands), garlic, anchovies, butter, and ½ tsp. red pepper flakes in a 13×9” baking dish; season with salt and black pepper. Roast, tossing halfway through, until garlic is very soft and mixture is jammy, 35–40 minutes. Using a fork, mash to break up garlic and tomatoes.
The finished product. I wish you could smell this picture.
