Rinse and drain capers. Pit and halve olives. Peel and finely chop the red onion. Thinly slice garlic. Drain soaked raisins and set aside. Toast pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat until golden, about 2–3 minutes; set aside.

Cook aromatics

Heat 2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add chopped red onion and a pinch of salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 6–8 minutes. Add sliced garlic and red pepper flakes; cook 1 minute until fragrant.

Add anchovies & deglaze

Add anchovy fillets to the pan and break them up with the back of a spoon; cook 1–2 minutes until they dissolve into the oil. Pour in the white wine to deglaze, scraping any browned bits; simmer 1–2 minutes to reduce slightly.

Build the sauce

Add the crushed tomatoes, drained raisins, capers, and olives. Stir to combine, bring to a gentle simmer, then lower heat and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and flavors meld, 18–22 minutes.

Finish sauce

Stir in toasted pine nuts, salt, and black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning. If sauce tastes too acidic, add a pinch of sugar or a splash (1 tsp) of olive oil. Keep warm on lowest heat while pasta cooks.

Pasta & Finish

Cook pasta

Bring a large pot (4–5 L) of water to a rolling boil and salt generously (about 1 tbsp). Add spaghetti and cook until just shy of al dente (about 1–2 minutes less than package time). Reserve 250 ml of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.

Combine pasta and sauce

Add the drained pasta to the sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add 3–4 tbs of the reserved pasta water and 1 tbs olive oil. Toss continuously with tongs or a pasta fork for 1–2 minutes so the pasta finishes cooking in the sauce and the sauce coats each strand. Add more pasta water if needed to loosen.

Final touches

Turn off heat. Tear in fresh basil leaves and sprinkle lemon zest if using. Toss in grated Pecorino Romano, reserving a little for service. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve

Divide pasta among warm bowls. Drizzle a little extra-virgin olive oil on each serving, sprinkle toasted pine nuts and toasted breadcrumbs (if using) for crunch, and finish with remaining Pecorino and a small pinch of chili oil or red pepper flakes to taste.