What Can I Use As A Substitute For Anchovies In The Sicilian Pasta Sauce? | Ask Nigella.com (2024)

Our answer

Nigella's Sicilian Pasta With Tomatoes, Garlic And Almonds has a pasta sauce that can be blitzed together while the pasta is cooking. It is good hot, cold or just warm, making it a perfect dish for summer.

Anchovies add a salty element to the sauce, but they are also rich in umani - a savouriness that is more than just salt. You could replace the anchovies with an extra tablespoon of drained capers, and this would be the easiest option as capers are in the recipe already. You could also add 6-8 pitted black olives as an alternative, though use the cured type that are vacuum packed rather than the olives sold in brine. After you have blitzed the sauce, taste it to see if you would like to add any extra capers or olives before tossing it with the cooked pasta.