Bigoli in Salsa

Fancy another trip to Venice? Today we are learning the ropes of a simple, yet delicious Venetian pantry staple Pasta called Bigoli in Salsa. It features fresh, tasty, Rio Vista Olives Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Onions and Anchovies. Perfect for a quick mid week meal and of course paired with a crisp white wine.
First of all lets see where Zia Maria Rosa lives.
Venice House Rio Vista Olives Olive Oil
Now that we feel sufficiently inspired the beauty of this ancient city, lets get started in the Kitchen. First up the salted anchovies need to be cleaned.
Anchovies in salt Rio Vista Olives olive oil
Once cleaned and filleted, its time to get the other ingredients ready.
rio vista olives extra virgin olive oil pasta and anchovies
Zia has chosen to use the Rio Vista Olives Correggiola Extra Virgin Olive Oil for this dish due to its fruitiness and green flavours which lifts the sweetness of the onion and saltiness of the Anchovy in this dish. A good extra virgin olive oil is never just the 'fat' in your dish. it should complement and enhance whatever dish you are creating. There is always a beauty in simplicity, where all the ingredients can speak and create a symphony of taste.
As a side note lets talk about Bigoli for a moment. Bigoli are an extruded pasta typical to the Veneto region (in dilect they are Bigoi). If you cant find them locally, it is fine to substitute them for Spaghetti. 
rio vista olives extra virgin olive oil and onions
So on to the Salsa. After chopping finely the onion, heat the oil and cook over a low heat so that the onions slowly soften and cook without browning. If you need to slow the process down add some white wine or water. Once the onions are softened, we add the anchovies and cook them down until they have dissolved and formed a nice sauce. Check for salt and add generous amounts of black pepper.
Meanwhile, cook the Bigoli until al dente and when finished add to the pan of Salsa and combine. Serve immediately with an extra cracking of fresh black pepper.
Bigoli in Salsa Rio Vista Olives Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Buon Appetito!

 

BIGOLI IN SALSA

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

500g Bigoli (or Spaghetti)

1 cup Rio Vista Olives Correggiola Extra Virgin Olive Oil

500g Sliced Onions (about 2-3)

150g Anchovies in Salt (Alici sotto Sale)

Ground Black Pepper

Salt to Taste

METHOD

Slice the Onions finely. Heat the oil over high heat, add the onions and lower the heat. Cook the onions slowly until softened and transparent. You do not want to onions to darken or fry. To prevent the onion from cooking too quickly, you can add ½ glass of white wine or a few drops of water.

Meanwhile, clean the anchovies under the water, remove the salt, open them, remove the spine and any bones, and slice into fillets.

When the onions are almost cooked, add the anchovy fillets and stir over the heat to dissolve to form a nice sauce. Taste for salt, but generally it is fine from the amount of salt in the Anchovies. Add pepper to taste.

In the meantime, put a large pot of water on to boil. Once it is boiling, salt the water and add the Bigoli (or Spaghetti). Once the pasta is cooked until al dente, drain and add to the Sauce and combine well. Serve with cracked black pepper.

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