Art of Pasta with Egle Loit
Farfalle with anchovy, chilli and lemon sauce
words and recipe by Egle Loit
photography by Martyna Wlodarska
I often ask people I teach what their least favourite pasta shape is. Farfalle almost always comes up. No-one really cares about them. They feel unnecessary somehow, especially when rigatoni exists, or orecchiette. Farfalle lacks seriousness. They are decorative. Slightly naive.
And yet, they are one of the most satisfying shapes to make by hand. There is something old-school about them. Slightly formal. They remind me of blouses with proper collars, or handwriting that hasn’t been rushed. They require you to pause. To pinch each one individually. To accept repetition without impatience.
Now that I think about it, I love farfalle. I make egg yolk dough, mostly because I like the colour. It has a deeper yellow, a kind of quiet confidence. It also behaves better. Stronger, more elastic, more forgiving of distraction. You can make yours with semolina and water, of course. It will still work. But egg yolk dough feels more generous. Mine rested overnight in the fridge, uninterrupted. It is, at the moment, much better rested than I am.
I roll it thin enough to catch the light. You should be able to see your fingers through it, or at least the suggestion of them. There is a particular pleasure in this moment, when the dough becomes less an object and more a surface. I cut it into small squares, about three centimetres each, using a fluted wheel. The edges matter. They create texture later, something for the sauce to hold on to. I pinch each square in the centre, gently, using my thumb and middle finger, with the index finger guiding the fold. They resist at first, and then they agree.
The sauce is so simple it almost feels like cheating. Two red chillies, cleaned of their seeds, blended with a small tin of anchovies and some of their oil into a bright, smooth paste. It looks sharper than it tastes. I cook it slowly, on low heat, for about ten minutes, until it settles into itself. I add capers, small ones, and the juice of a lemon. I grate the zest first. It feels wasteful not to.
The pasta cooks quickly. Fresh pasta always does. It doesn’t need convincing. A minute, maybe two. I taste constantly, waiting for the moment it stops tasting like flour and starts tasting like something else entirely. I transfer it into the sauce and toss it, carelessly enough that it splashes the counter slightly. Cooking should leave evidence. I fry another spoonful of capers separately, until they open and become crisp, louder versions of themselves.
I finish everything with a bit of dill, more lemon zest, mild chilli flakes, and olive oil at the very end, when heat can no longer interfere. The farfalle holds the sauce in their folds exactly as they were designed to do. Suddenly they seem less unnecessary. Essential, even.
It is strange how easily something overlooked can become indispensable, once you’ve spent enough time with it.
Bon appetit, my darling.
Anchovy, chilli and lemon sauce
Anchovy, chilli and lemon sauce
2 red chilies, deseeded and roughly chopped
1 small tin high-quality anchovies (with their oil)
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
2 large tablespoon capers (I like the lilliput ones)
Olive oil
Large handful fresh dill, roughly chopped
Teaspoon of mild red chilli flakes
METHOD
Blitz the base: Blend chilies and anchovies (including third of their oil) into a very fine, bright paste
Cook gently: add to a pan over low heat and let it slowly warm and cook through
Stir in lemon juice and a tablespoon of lilliput capers
Let it simmer gently while the pasta cooks
COOKING
Boil pasta in well-salted water for 1–2 minutes (fresh pasta cooks quickly)
Transfer directly into the sauce with a little pasta water
Toss vigorously so the sauce emulsifies and clings
Add a drizzle of olive oil, generous chunks of dill, dried mild chilli flakes
Keep tossing until glossy and lightly saucy
MAKING CRIPSY CAPERS
Pat capers extra dry
Fry in vegetable oil until they bloom and crisp (about 1–2 minutes)
Remove onto cloth or paper to dry fully
PLATING
Top with extra olive oil drizzle and crispy capers
