Recipe from Nigellissima.

Olives and Anchovies. Two food items that you hear a lot of people have much distaste for. They say that to make yourself like the taste of olives to just keep pressing on, eat them as often as you can and then you’ll come around. That is what I tried to do when on sunny European holidays where olives were more available, there were almost none in my house growing up as both my folks didn’t care for their taste. But where is the limit? Do you keep eating them until you give up? How long until you know that you absolutely will not enjoy them? Will just one more olive change your mind?

Thankfully I didn’t have to worry about finding these answers as I’ve actually come around to them. I wouldn’t say I LIKE the taste of olives, but if there are some out on a table whilst I’m waiting for my meal to arrive, I’ll glady snack on. 

Now… anchovies. I can’t say I don’t like them, because I so rarely eat them. My first proper job was serving behind the Deli counter at a supermarket. Between the many hams and cheeses on display were the nibbly-picky bits, olives, samosas, chicken satays etc, and anchovies. My colleague told me to try one and so, obediently, I did, and it was fine. Extremely salty, but fine. Since then though I have not gone out of my way to use anchovies in cooking, nor knowingly ordered something with them off a menu. Over time I heard more negative press about anchovies than positive, so seeing them named in the recipe title here, I wasn’t excited about using them. I had forgotten the initial taste I sampled in my teens, and thought only about the fact I know lots of people don’t like anchovies, so I’ll probably be the same. 

WELL… both olives and anchovies are used in a sauce, alongside other very flavoursome ingredients including garlic, lemon and parsley. Once blended together and tossed in with the spaghetti you really wouldn’t know there are anchovies in the sauce, and the faint olive aroma would be the only thing to let you know those fruits are also present. The combination of flavours works so well that you don’t think, “oh there’s the lemon” or “I can taste anchovies”, it melds into a new flavour that just works. 

Whilst I was apprehensive about making this dish, I was also geekily looking forward to it as it would be the first time I would use my hand-blender-processor tool, which was obviously excellent, and much more convenient that busting out the pestle and mortar! 

This recipe calls for spelt spaghetti, which I realised isn’t that easy to track down. I even went to an Italian Deli in London and he didn’t have any, but he did have spelt Fusilli so that could have been an option. Spelt grain is apparently more high in protein than regular wheat, and has been taken recently to be seen as a healthier alternative (spelt products incl. flour (and now, I’m just learning, spaghetti) can be found in health stores like Holland & Barrett). 

This really is a super speedy supper, all ingredients are placed into a processor and the pasta cooks for ten minutes while you blitz away. Simples. The recipe serves two, I am only one, thankfully the recipe also states it’s great cold in a packed lunch, so that’s me sorted for tomorrow.