Recipe and photography by Nourished by Talia
Ingredients
200g gigli pasta
70g unsalted butter
1 x 50g tin anchovies, oil reserved
3 garlic cloves, finely grated
½–1 tsp dried chilli flakes (to taste)
Zest of 1 lemon, plus extra to finish
Juice of ½ lemon
80g Parmesan, very finely grated, plus extra to serve
Freshly ground black pepper
Small bunch of chives, finely chopped
Small handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 egg yolks, optional to serve
Method
Cook the gigli in well-salted boiling water until al dente, around 3 minutes, reserving at least 2 ladles of the pasta cooking water.
Meanwhile, melt the butter gently in a wide pan over low heat with the anchovy oil from the tin. Add the anchovies and garlic and cook slowly, stirring, until the anchovies dissolve completely into the butter and the mixture becomes rich and glossy, keeping the heat low so the garlic doesn’t colour. Stir in the chilli flakes, lemon zest, and a good grind of black pepper, allowing the chilli to bloom gently in the butter for 1 minute.
Drain the gigli and add it directly to the pan with the pasta water, tossing well to coat for a few minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the parmesan, adding more pasta water as needed until the sauce is creamy, emulsified, and clings to the pasta. Add the lemon juice and chopped herbs. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Divide the pasta between warm bowls and top each with an egg yolk, more parmesan, cracked black pepper and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Swirl the yolk through just before eating for an extra-luxurious finish.
