Chefs have long considered canned anchovies (left over from Italian Vegetable Salad with Creamy Garlic Dressing) a “power ingredient” because of the way they can disappear into a dish while providing great depth of flavor. That’s exactly what they do in this weeknight-easy pasta, providing a foundation for the brighter notes of quickly cooked zucchini, lemon zest, and parsley.
2tablespoonsolive oil
1tablespoonunsalted butter
1large onion, thinly sliced
1lbspaghetti
3garlic cloves
12oil-packed flat anchovy fillets
1 1/2lbzucchini (about 3 medium), coarsely grated
1/2cupchopped flat-leaf parsley
1tablespoongrated lemon zest
Heat oil and butter in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until foam subsides, then sauté onion with 1/2 tsp salt until golden, 8 to 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook spaghetti in a pasta pot of well-salted boiling water until al dente.
While spaghetti cooks, mince and mash garlic and anchovies together to form a paste. Add paste to onion with 1/2 tsp pepper and sauté 2 minutes. Add zucchini and sauté until crisp-tender, 1 to 2 minutes.
Reserve 1/2 cup pasta-cooking water, then drain spaghetti. Add spaghetti to zucchini mixture with reserved cooking water and toss to coat. Remove from heat and stir in parsley and zest.
