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We get that anchovies can be intimidating for some home cooks. But trust the process: Sizzle a few fillets in butter or olive oil and they’ll melt into the pan, infusing every sauce they touch with umami, and never tasting as fishy as you might fear.
Anchovies are essential in countless Italian dishes. Pasta recipes like puttanesca and Caesar salad wouldn’t (or at least shouldn’t) exist without them. That’s just the start, though. If you aren’t already a fan, once you learn not if, but just how many anchovy fillets you want in your aglio e olio, we guarantee you’ll be in love. Our best anchovy recipes will get you there in no time.
If chopping the fillets is your issue, seek out anchovy paste, easily found in most supermarkets next to soups and other canned goods in a toothpaste-like tube. You’ll use about ½ tsp. anchovy paste per every fillet called for in a recipe.
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Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Marina Bevilacqua
One-Pot Puttanesca
In this anchovy recipe, the tiny fish serve a dual purpose: they add flavor to the signature olive and caper-spiked puttanesca sauce and enliven the crispy panko breadcrumb topping.
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Photograph by Joe Lingeman, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by JoJo Li
Garlicky Grilled Ribs With Charred Onion Salad
Purée garlic, rosemary, honey, and a whole jar of anchovies into a coarse paste to marinate flanken-style beef short ribs. After grilling, dress the meat with a chunky charred vegetable salad.
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Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Judy Kim, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca
Classic Caesar Salad
“This is my go-to Caesar salad,” claims one Bon Appétit reader. And we can’t disagree. A great Caesar gains its swagger from a fantastic dressing. Raw egg yolks give it creaminess, while anchovies add a briny punch. And don’t forget the crispy homemade croutons.
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Photograph by Laura Murray, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Sophie Strangio
Baked Pasta and Leeks With Anchovy Cream
You’ll use an entire tin of anchovies in this pasta bake, but no, it’s not too fishy. The fillets soften in the cream while adding tons of savory flavor.
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Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Taneka Morris, prop styling by Suzie Myers
Tinned-Salmon Niçoise Sandwich
The gang for a classic Niçoise salad is all here: black olives, peppers, tinned fish, anchovies. Only this time, instead of a bed of lettuce, they’re all tucked onto a baguette and they’ve swapped their usual leader (tuna) for salmon. We think you’ll approve.