Caramelized Shallot Pasta
- Total Time
- 40 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- ¼cup olive oil
- 6large shallots, very thinly sliced
- 5garlic cloves, 4 thinly sliced, 1 finely chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more to taste
- 1(2-ounce) can anchovy fillets (about 12), drained
- 1(4.5-ounce) tube or (6-ounce) can of tomato paste (about ½ to ¾ cup)
- 10ounces pasta
- 1cup parsley, leaves and tender stems, finely chopped
- Flaky sea salt
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
546 calories; 16 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 11 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 84 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams dietary fiber; 17 grams sugars; 19 grams protein; 874 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Heat olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium high. Add shallots and thinly sliced garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots have become totally softened and caramelized with golden-brown fried edges, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Step 2
Add red-pepper flakes and anchovies. (No need to chop the anchovies; they will dissolve on their own.) Stir to melt the anchovies into the shallots, about 2 minutes.
- Step 3
Add tomato paste and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly to prevent any scorching, until the tomato paste has started to cook in the oil a bit, caramelizing at the edges and going from bright red to a deeper brick red color, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer about half the mixture to a resealable container, leaving the rest behind. (These are your leftovers to be used elsewhere: in another batch of pasta or smeared onto roasted vegetables, spooned over fried eggs or spread underneath crispy chicken thighs.)
- Step 4
To serve, cook pasta according to package instructions in a large pot of salted boiling water until very al dente (perhaps more al dente than usual). Transfer to Dutch oven with remaining shallot mixture (or a skillet if you are using the leftover portion) and 1 cup pasta water. Cook over medium-high heat, swirling the skillet to coat each piece of pasta, using a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape up any bits on the bottom, until pasta is thick and sauce has reduced and is sticky, but not saucy, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Step 5
In a small bowl, combine parsley and finely chopped garlic clove, and season with flaky salt and pepper. Divide pasta among bowls, or transfer to one large serving bowl, and top with parsley mixture and a bit more red-pepper flakes, if you like.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Bob Rosen
I'm surprised at the medium-high heat recommended for caramelizing the shallots. In my experience, shallots are much more sensitive to cooking temperature than onions — and are prone to burn if cooked too quickly. I'd suggest turning the heat down just as soon as the shallots have begun to sizzle a bit — otherwise they'll be burned well before they've fully caramelized.
Allan Rivlin
You could replace anchovies with a kalamata olive tapenade and/or reconstitute some sun-dried tomatoes in water and fine chop.
Tim
As one of the Instagram messengers who asked for this — with zero expectation —thank you times a million! For those asking for an anchovy substitute, that’s kinda like reading a recipe for olive oil cake and then asking what can be used instead. I’d try with a smaller amount Of anchovies — even just 1 or 2 — and work your way up. Cooked like this they somehow both disappear into subtlety while exploding with savoriness. I used to think I hated anchovies, but I don’t anymore thanks to Alison.
Doug
Any suggestions for an anchovie substitute?
Bonnie Tawse
On Instagram earlier today, Alison Roman said (in so many words) this dish is all about the anchovies so do not ask about an anchovy substitute, just make a different pasta dish.
CFXK
The things you learn... Preparing this tonight. Local market had choice of Hunts Tomato Paste and Hunts No-Salt-Added Tomato Paste. With salt from the anchovies and that used in caramelization, wanted to be careful with additional salt. Bought both and decided I'd figure it out later. Back home, I checked ingredients and nutritional values. Want to know the difference between the two? The labeling! Nothing else. Otherwise identical. It's just marketing. Who'd a thunk it? Caveat emptor
Gee
Umeboshi paste (made from Japanese fermented plums) is a terrific vegan substitute for anchovies.
Adrienne
Serious Eats says 1 Large Shallot = 1/2 cup minced or sliced. 1 Medium Shallots = 1/4 cup minced or sliced. 1 Small Shallots = 2 tablespoons minced
wkmtca
i want to know how anyone can cook thinly sliced garlic, over medium heat, for 15-20 minutes without them burning to a bitter mess. no, i don't think so. i would add them maybe 5 minutes before the end of the cooking process. this is like recipes that say to cook onions until caramelized.. 10 -15 minutes. in your dreams, plan 30 - 45 or more minutes for that.
Rick
So can anybody who has had success with recipe tell me about how much in grams or ounces you need for the shallots. Large means nothing to me. It is a shame that people who write recipes like this for mass consumption can not be more specific on the amounts of ingredients.
MelanieSQ
ATK's taste test had King Oscar (tin) as the favorite brand, with Ortiz in the glass jar in 2nd. Ortiz is about $13, King Oscar less than $3.
LG
Help! Is one shallot the whole bulb or just one of the “cloves” inside?
mods
This was insanely good. Completely addictive, just kept wanting to go back for more long after I was full. Made it exactly according to the recipe, used spaghetti. I always thought I didn’t like anchovies until I started using NYT cooking.
Prakash Nadkarni
Anchovies are a concentrated umami source. The closest substitute is fish sauce, as Andrew points out: see Harold McGee's "On Food and Cooking". The Romans' fish sauce was called Garum: after it went out of fashion, anchovies replaced it - both are fermented fish products. If you're vegan, use fermented soybean paste or miso, which are more intense than soy sauce. (Olives and capers are nice, but lack umami, which is due to savory amino acids, primarily glutamate, from a protein source.)
Karen
Anchovies cooked taste almost nothing like anchovies out of the can. If you are worried about it, reduce the quantity. If you want to eliminate them completely, it won't taste the same. Be brave!
V
Used sundried tomato paste for about half of the tomato paste and the concentrated tomato paste for the other portion. Used bucatini and didn’t require all the pasta water. Chopped the garlic/parsley/salt/red pepper all together to really incorporate. Delicious!
madge
I am sad to report that I was unsuccessful in making this recipe. While this is because of my mistake, I do want to warn others because it feels like something that could happen to anyone! I oversalted my pasta water. So much advice these days says to salt your pasta water so it is “salty like the sea” but in this case, adding super salty pasta water to an already salty pasta sauce put it over the top and was impossible to recover from. I will try again and hope for better results!
Claire
I’ve made so many of Alison Roman’s recipes, yet I’m only now making this one, which feels like a rite of passage. It is perfect. I served it with Parmesan, but next time I will use pecorino romano — the saltiness and creaminess would compliment the rich tomato base of this dish.
Maureen
My husband was excited to make this and we’re both Allison Roman fans. After making the recipe though, I’m surprised by the high ratings. Way too much parsley. The parsley also added a weird texture. The flavor profile wasn’t mind blowingly good.
sp
Why did it come out sweet? Was this sweet for anyone else?
delicious and flexible flavor base
Dutch oven helps reduce burn but otherwise follow other comments for lower heat. It’s delicious with added air fried brussel sprouts chopped and shrimp, or any other veg and protein!
Lims
It’s good. A decent amount of prep work but the flavor payoff is there. I agree that it needs a little squeeze of lemon at the end to brighten it up.
sienni
I used the highest quality anchovies I could find the 2nd time I made it and the end result was greatly improved
RGG
Delicious and easy! When making the parsley/garlic topping, next time I’ll mash the garlic with the salt first before stirring in the parsley. I found the raw bits of garlic a little overpowering. The anchovies and pepper flakes both came through for me in the final flavor (which I liked!) but if you don’t love anchovy or spice I think you could cut back on either a bit and still have a great bowl of pasta.
This recipe is great!
For someone who doesn’t like anchovies, I’ve never cooked with them… I’m blown away! I am a foodie, and figured what the heck, why not! I’m not disappointed, I did add some lemon zest and a squeeze and felt it kicked up the heat just a tad! Also added a pinch of Parmesan to finish… will be making again. I newly can not have gluten and try to limit dairy, I don’t love really tomato sauce a ton, surprised by how much flavor this has and his the gluten free pasta!
Philly K
I added only two anchovies; I still could taste them. Not a problem for me; I like fish. But be forewarned.
Patrick Hu
Next time I will add the sliced garlic after the shallots have mostly caramelized. There is some bitterness that I think is due to burned garlic.
essa
That was really delicious. Needed a dash of olive oil at the end and some fresh shaved parmesan.
Tomcat
I would go much easier on the tomato paste than is suggested here. Putting in 4.5 ounces of tomato paste completely obliterates the flavor of garlic and shallot and also covers up the beautiful golden caramelization of the shallots. This is a recipe gone wrong. Given the delicate flavor of shallots, I would go with an olive and garlic sprinkled with Parmesan — the tomato here ruins it.
Momof3
Used all of the sauce in whatever amount of pasta that I thought might be 10 oz. I am not an anchovy eater but this did not taste like anchovies at all. It was really good and coated the pasta in a lovely way that reminded my son of Persian spaghetti. I did add a little sprinkle of sugar to cut the acidic edge from the tomato paste. I did not take the leap of faith to the parsley/raw garlic topping and have no regrets.
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