Garlic, Anchovy, and Jalapeno Pasta

Introduction

Transcribed and liberally altered from Deadspin.

(Jen:)Garlic, tons of anchovies and jalapeños. The original recipe is written as a wall of text, so I've written out a simple version here. Consult the link for the details.

Ingredients

• 1 lb Bucatini/Spaghetti/thin Spaghetti (adjust cook time accordingly)
• 2 Jalapeños
• 4-5 cloves Garlic (more if you want)
• 10-15 Anchovy filets plus some of their oil
• 1 can Cannelloni Beans
• 1 pint Cherry Tomatoes
• Olive oil
• Parm or Pecarino
• [IF NEEDED: 1/4C Heavy Cream]

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 400. Start a pot of pasta water (salt moderately).
2. Toss tomatoes with a bit of olive oil and a bit of salt. Start them roasting in the oven for 10 mins.
3. Drop the pasta in the boiling water.
4. While the pasta and tomatoes do their thing, thinly slice the jalapeños (seeds and all), put the garlic through a crusher (or mince) and chop up the anchovies. Drain and rinse the beans.
5. Heat 2 T of olive oil in a big saute pan. Add the sliced chiles and garlic, sautéing until softened, but not brown. Add in the anchovies and a tablespoon or so of the oil and stir to melt them into the mixture. Taste for spice level. If it's completely off the charts, throw in a bit of cream, but remember, the pasta and beans will mellow out the heat, plus the pain is part of the fun.
6. The pasta and tomatoes will finish at the same time. Be ready.
7. Throw the pasta, beans and about a cup of pasta water into the sauce. Toss to mix/coat with the sauce. Let warm through for a minute. Gently stir in the tomatoes (or put them on top of the finished pasta). Throw it onto plates, garnish with cheese, grab a fork and let the beautiful pain begin.

Note: We didn't have beans, which would have helped tone down the heat, hence our need for the cream. Even with the modification, it was still really really tasty. Like, we went into the kitchen to scoop up the extra sauce in the pan with chunks of bread.