Simple Anchovy Pasta with Lemon and Capers
on May 12, 2025
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Name something better than this Simple Anchovy Pasta with Lemon and Capers? We’ll wait. This pasta recipe combines the umami from anchovies, zest and brightness from lemon juice, and the punchy flavors of capers, all tossed with Pecorino Romano cheese and pasta.
If you’re looking for more pasta recipes, you’ll also love our Creamy Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Pasta, Burst Cherry Tomato Pasta, and our Pasta with Leeks and Green Peas!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This recipe is salty, briny, and zesty from all the amazing flavors going on, and has a special touch in each bite. This recipe is:
- Ready in under 30 minutes
- Uses pantry staples like pasta, anchovies, and garlic
- Vegetarian-friendly modifications
- The perfect balance of salty, zesty, and briny
- Scales well for date nights or larger format dinner parties
Recipe Ingredients
Below are the ingredients you need to make this recipe, including all our tips and substitutions.
Aromatics and Base Ingredients: Kosher salt, black pepper, fresh garlic, and red pepper flakes are all tossed in this pasta and cooked down with anchovies.
Lemon zest and juice: This zesty and bright ingredient adds acidity to balance out the saltiness from the capers, anchovies, and pecorino cheese.
Pasta: We are using bucatini pasta, but feel free to use any other long pasta shapes you love, such as spaghetti or linguine.
Finishes: To finish off the pasta, we are using butter and Pecorino Romano cheese, all finished with fresh parsley.
The full list of ingredients with exact quantities can be found on the recipe card below.
Tips and Substitutions
- Vegetarian Swap: Omit anchovies and add a splash of white wine for umami.
- No Bucatini? You can use spaghetti, linguine, or fettuccine. You can also try our Homemade Pasta Recipe, too!
- For Storing: Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- To Reheat: Warm on the stovetop in a skillet with a splash of water to re-emulsify the sauce.
- Cheese: You can use Parmesan instead of Pecorino.
- To make this creamy, feel free to add heavy cream or mascarpone to make this recipe extra creamy, similar to our Lemon Mascarpone Pasta.
- For added proteins, you can add grilled chicken or shrimp.
How to Make Pasta with Lemon and Capers
Step 1: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt it generously and cook pasta until just under al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water.
Step 2: Heat olive oil and sauté garlic until lightly golden. Add anchovies and mash to melt into the oil. Season with pepper.
Step 3: Add capers, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, and juice. Toss everything together. Keep warm on low until pasta is ready.
Step 4: Transfer pasta to the pan. Add butter and Pecorino, tossing to coat. Toss in parsley and top with extra cheese and pepper.
The full detailed instructions can be found on the recipe card below.
Serving Recommendations
Looking for some pairing ideas for this pasta? This pasta pairs nicely with some fresh and crispy salads and sides. Here are a few ideas to choose from.
- For salads, pair with Roasted Beet Salad with Labneh, Radicchio Salad with Chives and Hazelnuts, Citrus Avocado Salad with Chili Crisp, or Shaved Celery and Fennel Salad.
- Crusty sourdough or Homemade Focaccia
- Harissa Roasted Honeynut Squash with Tangy Pistachios for a vegetable side.
- If you want it fancy, serve with Oysters with Yuzu Kosho Ponzu Mignonette, Caviar and Potato Chips
Pasta with Lemon and Capers FAQs
Yes, while they add deep umami, you can omit them, or add in white wine for some umami. You can also use soy sauce.
Use your reserved pasta water to keep the sauce silky and creamy.
Yes, they absolutely do! They add a nice briny, salty flavor profile to any pasta and pair beautifully with seafood pasta and pasta variations with cheese.
More Pasta Recipes
If you do make this Pasta with Lemon and Capers recipe, leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, we would love to hear what you think! Don’t forget to tag us on Instagram, we love to see what you’re making! If you’d like to stay in touch and get the latest in your inbox, sign up for our Newsletter. We can also be found on YouTube, Facebook, and Pinterest!
I Wrote a Cookbook, titled Something Delicious. It includes 100 flavorful, low-fuss recipes for any time of day, and you can order it now!
Simple Anchovy Pasta with Lemon and Capers
Equipment
Ingredients
- Kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 4 anchovies
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup capers, drained
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Zest and juice of 1 small lemon
- 8 ounces bucatini pasta, or other long-strand pasta of choice
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup grated Pecorino cheese, plus more for serving
- 1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, salt heavily and add in your pasta until just under al dente according to the package instructions. Reserve about 1 cup of pasta water.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add in your garlic, and saute for 1 minute until just lightly golden and fragrant; you don’t want any color here. Add the anchovies and, using a spatula, mash them down to melt into the olive oil and garlic. Season with pepper. You most likely won’t need salt right now, as the anchovies are salty.
- Add in the capers, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, and juice. Give everything a big toss.
- If your pasta is ready by now, use tongs to transfer the pasta, add the butter and Pecorino cheese. Adjust as needed with pasta water. If your pasta is not ready yet, just turn this on low.
- Adjust as needed with salt, however, you may not need much (if any) since the anchovies, capers, and cheese are all plenty salty.
- Turn off the heat, add in parsley, and toss to combine. Serve in bowls, topping with more cheese and freshly cracked pepper.
Notes
- Vegetarian Swap: Omit anchovies and add a splash of white wine for umami.
- No Bucatini?: You can use spaghetti, linguine, or fettuccine. You can also try our Homemade Pasta Recipe, too!
- For Storing: Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- To Reheat: Warm on the stovetop in a skillet with a splash of water to re-emulsify the sauce.
- Cheese: You can use Parmesan instead of Pecorino.
- To make this creamy, feel free to add heavy cream or mascarpone to make this recipe extra creamy, similar to our Lemon Mascarpone Pasta.
- For added proteins, you can add grilled chicken or shrimp.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
A really simple and delicious pasta that is filled with so much flavor from anchovies, lemon juice and capers. I hope you enjoy!