Meatless Monday

I'm not really into the whole 'Meatless Monday' meme.  I eat meatless most of the time; sometimes this happens on a Monday, and sometimes it doesn't.

At any rate, this simple pasta dish would be delicious any day of the week as a light dinner or lunch.

Even though this winter has been rather mild, I still have found myself primarily drawn to heavy stews and casseroles.  Now that we are on the verge of spring I've been craving lighter fare.  This was another kind of "throw in what sounds good" creation, but I found that the lemon and caper's brightness are very balanced by the earthy and savory tones from the anchovies and red pepper flakes.  The grated pecorino romano on top serves as a bridge to really unify the flavors in this dish.  Delicious, simple, and ready in the time it takes to cook a pot of pasta.

Lemon Caper Spaghetti 

Ingredients

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp butter

2 anchovy filets

1 large clove of garlic, minced

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

2 tbsp capers, drained and roughly chopped

1/2 lemon, juiced

salt and pepper

12 ounces spaghetti

pecorino romano, grated

Directions

1.  Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat.  Salt the water and add the pasta.  While the pasta is cooking, melt over medium low heat the olive oil and butter in a large frying pan and then add the anchovies and garlic.  Stir until the anchovies have disolved (carefully, they can splatter quite a bit), and then add the red pepper flakes and capers.

2.  Once the pasta is cooked slightly under al dente, carefully remove from the pot with a pasta ladel into the frying pan.  Once all the pasta is in the pan, give it a toss with large tongs until evenly coated.  Add the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste, tossing to combine.  Garnish with a sprinkling of cheese.  Serves 3-4.

Come join the party over at The Sweet Spot to see my post and a bunch of other tasty treats.