7) O’surdato N’ammurat Recipe

Boil pasta

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the sea salt (about 1 tablespoon). Add the spaghetti and cook until just shy of al dente (about 8–9 minutes for typical dried spaghetti; check package). Reserve 250 ml of the starchy pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and set aside.

Keep the pasta warm by returning to the empty pot off the heat or covering lightly while you finish the sauce.

Build aromatics

Heat 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Add the finely diced shallot and cook, stirring, until softened and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the thinly sliced garlic and cook 30–45 seconds more until fragrant — do not let it brown. Add the chopped anchovy fillets and use the back of a spoon to break them up; cook 1 minute until they dissolve into the oil.

Deglaze & simmer

If using, pour in 60 ml dry white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping any bits from the bottom. Let the wine reduce by half, about 1–2 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes (or crushed canned tomatoes) and stir to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low.

Add briny components

Stir in the chopped capers, halved olives, red pepper flakes, and chopped oregano. Simmer the sauce gently, uncovered, for 12–15 minutes to meld flavors and slightly thicken. Taste and season with a small pinch of salt if needed (anchovies, capers and olives are salty, so be conservative).

Finish sauce

Stir in the torn fresh basil leaves and remove the pan from the heat. Add the butter and swirl until melted for a glossy finish. If sauce is too thick, loosen with 2–4 tablespoons of reserved pasta water.

Combine pasta and sauce

Add the drained spaghetti to the skillet with the sauce (if your pan is too small, return pasta to the pot and add sauce). Toss vigorously over low heat for 1–2 minutes until the pasta is fully coated and finishes cooking in the sauce. Add additional reserved pasta water as needed — you want a silky, emulsified coating, not a dry pasta.

Final seasoning & plating

Remove from heat. Stir in the grated Pecorino Romano, lemon zest and freshly ground black pepper. Taste and adjust salt if required. Divide the pasta into 4 portions (servings) and garnish each plate with torn basil leaves and an extra drizzle of olive oil or a grating of cheese, if desired.