Bigoli in Salsa

Ingredients

• 400 g bigoli, or wholewheat spaghetti
• 500 g white onions
• 10 salted anchovies, or 20 anchovy fillets in oil
• 70 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 100 ml water
• 3 tbsp dry white wine
• black pepper
• 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley (optional)

Before you cook

• Peel the onions and slice them as thinly as you possibly can.
• Rinse the salted anchovies under cold water, open them out and remove the backbones.
• Chop the anchovy fillets roughly.

Steps

1. Warm the olive oil in a wide pan over the lowest heat.
2. Add the onions with a pinch of salt and stir to coat them in the oil.
3. Pour in the water, cover the pan and stew the onions for 35 minutes, stirring now and then, until they collapse into a soft pale cream without taking any colour.
4. Add the chopped anchovies and mash them into the onions with a wooden spoon.
5. Pour in the wine and cook for 5 minutes, until the anchovies have completely dissolved.
6. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil.
7. Cook the bigoli until al dente, about 9 minutes.
8. Scoop out a mugful of the pasta water.
9. Drain the pasta and tip it into the onion pan.
10. Toss over medium heat for 1 minute, loosening with pasta water until the sauce clings to every strand.
11. Grind over black pepper, scatter the parsley and serve without cheese.