A favorite dish of my Dad and I is Bucatini, olive oil, chopped parsley, garlic, hot pepper flakes, ground black pepper, and anchovies (hold the raviolis). We’ve been eating that dish together since I was a kid. It’s our signature dish, the stamp, an image, the one I cherish most, Saturday afternoon, Dad at the stove, cooking with absolute zeal, me with my eyes peeled, fork in hand.
Here’s how to do it:
Flood a sauce pan with olive oil, add a couple cans of anchovies with the oil, warm until the anchovies start to disintegrate, then shut the heat off. Add the chopped garlic, and hot pepper flakes to the warm oil. Working quickly, throw in your cooked Bucatini, and toss quickly while adding tons of chopped parsley.
I find cooking the pasta in the oil makes the pasta more flavorful, but don’t do it for too long, and for God sake, don’t burn the garlic. There you have it. Simple, delicious and devilishly good.
Please don’t let the little fishy guys scare you away, they really add a magnificent, salty kick.
In the past I have added a small amount of lemon zest and capers, which offered a nice balance and more layers of flavor.
About johncpicardi
Welcome to my blog. I am the author of the novel Oliver Pepper's Pickle and the published plays The Sweepers and Seven Rabbits on a Pole, both plays have been produced off Broadway and around the US. I am a graduate of Johnson & Wales University where I majored in Culinary arts. I have a BA from The University of Massachusetts and an MFA from Carnegie Mellon University.
This blog is about food and food memories and every other fantastic and scrumptious thing to do with it.
My appetite and passion for food is large and runs deep, sometimes its indulgent and wild and other times wholesome and simple, often humorous and always immeasurable.
I grew up outside of Boston and spent many hours of my childhood in front of the TV watching Graham Kerr (The Galloping Gourmet) and Julia Child prepare all kinds of luscious meals that would make my mouth water. Other days I’d follow my mother and two grandmothers around their simple, tidy kitchens as they busily prepared hearty fragrant meals, hand-cut pastas, preserved fruits and vegetables, baked yeasty breads, spicy cookies and frosted lopsided cakes. I was there by their side asking questions and helping where needed and there were plenty of times I was ordered to leave if I was in their way.
It was a given that by the time I graduated High School I would be going off to Johnson & Wales University to study Culinary Arts. Those years were fine and good. I loved the hands on creativeness of cooking whether it be the simple lesson of washing a sink full of colorful salad greens, trussing a chicken or peeling a gorgeous carrot or the complicated lessons of making a French Country Pate or Julia Child’s Cassoulet or making Brioche, it all thrilled me and my dream had arrived!
Mastering The Art Of Pigging Out - My Life In Food - John C. Picardi 
Simply delicious! 🙂
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Thank you!
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Me, too! I love surprising my husband with this for dinner once in a while. He loves anchovies, but only thinks about putting them on pizza.
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They’re great on pizza, I agree, just posted a pizza recipe. John
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Hi John, Thank you for sending me your blog with your wonderful recipes!! Never mind teaching my friend – open a restaurant!! I am printing out your recipes and forwarding them to my friends for their enjoyment. I hope you are doing well – I sure do miss you!!! I would love to catch up with you – tell me a good time call. Love you, Pat
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