Pappardelle with Anchovies, White Wine, and Breadcrumbs

What you'll need...

1 large leek

1 large shallot

3 garlic cloves

4 cured anchovy fillets

2 tablespoons capers

1+ cup white wine

1 lemon

½ lb fresh anchovies, cooked, cleaned and filleted (alternatively, tinned sardines work!)

1 ounce Italian parsley, leaves only

½ cup panko breadcrumbs, toasted in olive oil and seasoned with salt

Aleppo or red chili flakes

Extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Cut the leek lengthwise and rinse well between the layers to remove any sand/dirt. Thinly slice into half moons. Similarly, cut the shallot in half lengthwise and remove the skin, then thinly slice. Mince the garlic cloves, cured anchovies, and capers together into a paste. Zest the lemon and finely chop the parsley. Flake the fresh anchovies, reserving some for garnish.

Sweat the vegetables in olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent coloring, until softened and translucent, 5-10 minutes. Add the garlic/caper/anchovy mixture and cook until fragrant and anchovies dissolve, 2-3 minutes. Follow with the wine, turn heat to low and allow to reduce slightly, stirring occasionally. Once the mixture has melded and is saucy, remove from heat and adjust seasoning as needed.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Return the sauce to medium-high heat and add the fresh anchovies, breaking them up a bit, along with half of the lemon zest and a squeeze of lemon juice. Salt the water and cook the pasta. As it cooks, ladle some pasta water into the sauce and stir to combine. Transfer pasta directly to sauce and toss to coat, allowing it to finish cooking in the pan for another minute. Serve immediately, topped with reserved anchovies flakes, panko, parsley, lemon zest, and pepper flakes. Finish with a drizzle of good olive oil and enjoy!