Lemony pasta with kelp, chile and anchovies

Another Melissa Clark classic that you can make in 30 minutes to feed a family of 6. I absolutely love anchovies but I think they can be omitted if you are not a fan - the kelp brings an umami taste which adds all the savory you need. If you are making this vegetarian, I’d add a little more kelp to enhance the flavor of the dish.

INGREDIENTS

  • Kosher salt, as needed

  • 1 pound rigatoni or other pasta

  • 4 to 8 anchovy fillets, chopped

  • 4 large garlic cloves, finely grated or minced

  • 1 ½ teaspoons finely grated lemon zest, plus fresh lemon juice, to taste

  • ¼ teaspoon red-pepper flakes, or to taste

  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving

  • ½ cup kelp purée (use fresh blanched kelp puréed in a blender or food processor) or a thawed kelp smoothie cube

  • ½ cup finely chopped parsley, plus more for serving

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

PREPARATION

  1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until just shy of al dente, usually 1 to 2 minutes earlier than the cooking time suggested on the packaging. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain pasta.

  2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together anchovies, garlic, lemon zest and red-pepper flakes to make a paste.

  3. In a 12-inch skillet, heat 1/4 cup oil over medium. Add anchovy paste and cook, stirring, until the anchovies begin to dissolve, about 2 minutes. Add kelp and cook, stirring, until slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup parsley and the butter. Add the pasta and toss to coat. If the mixture seems dry, add some of the reserved pasta water, tossing to coat the pasta with sauce. Season with salt and lemon juice, to taste.

  4. Garnish with more parsley, drizzle with oil, if desired, and serve immediately.

Romulo Yanes for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Vivian Lui.

Romulo Yanes for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Vivian Lui.

James Douglas