Spaghetti with Mint-Basil-Anchovy Pesto
I made this kind of mint-basil sauce to go with a rack of lamb dish. The sauce has garlic and anchovies, giving it lots of umami flavor. I thought it would work really well in a pasta dish, finished with Spanish olives stuffed with anchovies, Parmigiano Reggiano, and aggressive amounts of hot chili flakes.
Ingredients
- Leaves from 1 large bunch of basil
- Leaves from 1 large bunch of mint
- 1 whole garlic clove, peeled
- 10-12 anchovy fillets, chopped (do not rinse)
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Juice of one lemon
- 1 can Spanish olives stuffed with anchovies
- 1 pound best quality dry spaghetti
- Parmigiano Reggiano for grating
- Chili flakes
Instructions
- In a blender or food processor, combine basil, mint, anchovies, and garlic. Add about 1 cup of oil and blend, drizzling in more until emulsified. Add lemon juice. Taste and adjust.
- Chill pesto in refrigerator until ready to use.
- Boil salted water and cook spaghetti according to package, removing 1 minute before al dente.
- Pour pesto and Spanish olives into a large sauté pan. Heat very gently (do not boil). Add generous chili flakes.
- Transfer pasta with tongs to the pan. Toss 30 seconds over medium-low heat.
- Add pasta cooking water if sauce looks tight.
- Plate and serve with liberal Parmigiano Reggiano and extra chili flakes.
💡 James' Tip
Don't rinse the anchovies — their oil adds tremendous flavor to the pesto. The salty anchovy-stuffed olives are the perfect complement.
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