Pantry Pasta

I had the best meal I have had in a long time. I think one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much was because it took me all of five minutes to make and also I got all the ingredients from my pantry! It is very important to have a well-stocked pantry. You have to assess what kind of cooking you do and then stock your pantry accordingly. I tend to cook Indian, Italian, Southwestern, Chinese/Thai, etc. When it comes to Italian, I always have chickpeas, cannelini beans, crushed tomatoes, chopped tomatoes, dry pasta, fresh pasta in my freezer, lots of dry herbs, garlic, parmesan cheese, olive oil and most importantly- anchovies! I felt like having something very spicy and salty that would go well with a yummy merlot I was sipping. I knew I had some fresh pasta in the freezer, so I took it out and got the anchovies out! I love anchovies. A lot of people are put off by the smell but the flavor is amazing. It brings a complexity of salty and nutty flavors to the dish. The key to using a few ingredients is to use very bold ones. In this case it was the anchovies and the garlic. I added a little dry basil to round off the flavor and I have to say, I was a satisfied customer!
• Fresh or dry pasta enough for one person
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 anchovies
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
• ½ teaspoon dry basil
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup reserved pasta water

Cook the pasta to al dente and save the pasta water. In a medium frying pan add the olive oil and melt the anchovies on a medium heat. Add the garlic, red pepper, basil and salt. Add the pasta and the pasta water. Stir well and enjoy!