Whole-wheat pasta with anchovies, cherry tomatoes and lemon zest

Name: Whole-wheat pasta with anchovies, cherry tomatoes and lemon zest
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Whole wheat Spaghetti pasta 11.3 oz; Datterino tomatoes 14 oz; Anchovies in organic oil, sweet, from the Cantabrian Sea 4.2 oz; Tomato paste 1.3 tbsp; Lemon peel 1; Parsley to taste; Extra virgin olive oil 2 tbsp; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste

Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Serving: 4

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PRESENTATION

Recipe by
Lulù Gargari

Whole-Wheat Pasta with Anchovies, Cherry Tomatoes, and Lemon Zest is a cardiovascular argument dressed as dinner — proposed by cook Lulù Gargari in collaboration with nutritionist Laura Crugnola for Il piatto bilanciato, their vodcast series on eating for heart health. Every ingredient earns its place: anchovies bring omega-3s, vitamin D, selenium, and iodine; whole wheat spaghetti adds fiber that supports satiety; datterini tomatoes, bolstered by tomato paste for body, contribute lycopene; and lemon zest lifts the sauce with citrus perfume rather than sharpness.

The dish comes together entirely within the pasta cooking time. Tomato paste does the structural work, giving the fresh datterini sauce enough richness to coat every strand without weight. The anchovies dissolve into the base, seasoning from within rather than announcing themselves, while the lemon zest keeps the finish open and alive. Gargari and Crugnola built it around a specific argument: that eating consciously for cardiovascular health and eating with real pleasure are not competing goals.

How to prepare Whole-wheat pasta with anchovies, cherry tomatoes and lemon zest

To prepare the whole-wheat pasta with anchovies, cherry tomatoes and lemon zest, first halve the datterini cherry tomatoes 1 and put the spaghetti to cook in salted boiling water 2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet with the parsley stems 3.

Add 3 oz (about 80 g) anchovies 4 and let them melt over low heat 5, helping yourself with a ladleful of the pasta cooking water. Add the tomato paste 6 and toast it for a few seconds.

Add the cherry tomatoes 7, season with salt 8 and pepper. Sauté the tomatoes over medium-high heat for 4–5 minutes. Once the pasta is al dente, drain the spaghetti and transfer them to the skillet with the sauce 9.

Moisten with a ladleful of cooking water 10 and toss everything together. Turn off the heat, then discard the parsley stems 11 and season with chopped parsley 12.

Finally, scent with grated lemon zest 13. Complete each plate with 2 anchovy fillets 14 and a grind of black pepper. Your whole-wheat pasta with anchovies, cherry tomatoes and lemon zest is ready to be served 15!

Storage

The whole-wheat pasta with anchovies, cherry tomatoes and lemon zest can be stored in the refrigerator for one day in an airtight container.

Tip

The tomato paste makes the sauce creamier, but if you prefer you can omit it.

Salt the pasta water moderately, but don't demonize salt: sodium also plays an important role in the proper functioning of the body and, when consumed in the right amounts as part of a balanced diet, contributes to normal physiological processes.

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.

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