Pasta Miss Joselle

A few years ago, Jo and her husband John, myself and my family were all living in Moscow, Russia. Jo was getting ready to celebrate a special birthday, but had no real plans (as her husband was going to be away). We were heading to Tuscany, Italy, for a week long vacation in a villa that we had rented. After a bit of convincing, Jo agreed to join us. Lucky for us for after 2 days in Italy, my husband Paul was also called back to work. That left Jo, Mo, and three kids to take on Tuscany. We explored Florence and neighboring towns, wineries, open markets, churches, shops, etc. One evening, we decided to eat in. We didn't have much in the way of supplies but managed to come up with a bottle of fresh olive oil produced by the owners of the villa, garlic, a can of anchovies, and fresh rosemary from a bush out front. This is the dish that Jo made for us that evening and that we have been eating at least once a week since that time...


This easy dinner has become a family favorite here at Mo's house!

Pasta Miss Joselle (4-5 Servings)

• 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (E.V.O.O.)
• 5-6 cloves garlic
• 1 sprig of Rosemary (optional)
  
• 1 two ounce can Anchovies (fillets packed in Olive Oil)
  
• 1 box Linguine pasta (or any other kind of noodles you have laying around the house!)
  

1. Begin heating water in a large pot, adding the noodles once the water reaches a boil.

2. Finely chop 5-6 cloves of garlic.

3. Begin heating about half a cup of E.V.O.O. -- give or take -- (by sight, dont worry about being too exact!) on medium heat.


3. Finely chop a small handful of rosemary sprigs -- use as much or as little as you like (our family is crazy about fresh herbs, so we tend to use more rather than less).
4. Open a 2 ounce can of anchovies (fillets in pure olive oil) and finely chop. We put our anchovies into a small bowl -- it makes it easier to slice them up! Anchovies may not sound (or look) like the most appetizing addition to a pasta, but I promise they add a delicious salty dimension to the meal. Maybe just don't tell any picky eaters that they're in the pasta...


5. After the E.V.O.O. is heated, add the garlic and cook until golden brown. Be careful not to burn it!Mmmm... look at that crispy, golden garlic.


6. When the garlic is a nice golden color, add the anchovies and rosemary. Cook for several minutes -- the anchovies should dissolve into the olive oil.


7. Pour your sauce over freshly drained noodles -- serve with ground black pepper and lots of freshly grated Parmesan cheese! If you have some fresh parsley, throw that on too!

We always eat this pasta with a leafy-green salad and crusty french bread. Yum.

Enjoy!

Love, Mo