Spaghetti with green peppercorns, anchovies and lemon

I just looove pasta. It is so incredibly versatile and just damn tasty. This pasta dish is one of my favorites. It is fast and easy to make, and the flavors of the lemon, anchovies and peppercorns just come together very beautifully. It has a bit of a spicy bite to it from the peppercorns and a richness from the anchovies.

What you need to serve three people

Slightly adapted from Tessa Kiros’ beautiful cookbook Falling Cloudberries

2 tablespoons fresh green pepeprcorns, roughly chopped

1 lemon, both the peel and juice

12 anchovy fillets

70 g./1/2 stick butter

A handful of fresh basil

400 g. spaghetti

Parmesan to serve

Boil the pasta until al dente. While the spaghetti is cooking, place 2/3 of the butter in a pan with the anchovies. Turn the heat on low, and let the butter melt and the anchovies warm. After a few minutes, squash the fillets with a wooden spoon and add the peppercorns, lemon peel and juice to the pan. Mix it all and turn off the heat. When the spaghetti is done, drain it and save a little of the cooking water. Pour the spaghetti over the sauce along with the roughly chopped basil and the rest of the butter. Mix well, and adjust the texture with the pasta water if the sauce is too dry. Serve immediatly with plenty of freshly grated parmesan.