Spaghetti and Anchovies... (or, back to the basics...)

I made the below recipe this evening. It performed 1.5 out of 5 MFT stars. I used a large red and yellow onion much to the Spaniards shagrin. The dish itself was missing something, perhaps some fresh chopped tomatoes (this is the time of year for 'em!). I would also recommend putting in 3/4 TBSP of red peppers rather than 1 full tablespoon. The heat tended to dominate the anchovy taste. Grate some parmesan over it too, and don't over heat the thin-sliced garlic.

Here's a Batali "Molto Italiano" spaghetti/anchovies recipe I'm going to try (eventually), and I thought you might like to keep it on reserve. Let me know if you ever try it too. As follows:

From page 173 of Batali's, "Molto Italiano":

Spaghetti w/ Caramelized Onions, Anchovies, and Toasted Bread Crumbs:

The trick here is to buy the best anchovies you can find. The brand for me is Recca, for their dependable quality. But I have been known to use a can of sardines in a pinch, or even a tablespoon of oil-packed Italian tuna[!]. Hey, life is short!

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

2 large SPANISH ONIONS, cut lengthwise in half and then into 1/4-inch-thick half-moons

5 salt-packed ANCHOVIES, filleted and rinsed

1/2 cup MILK

4 cloves GARLIC, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon HOT RED PEPPER FLAKES

1 pound SPAGHETTI

1/2 cup roughly chopped ITALIAN PARSLEY

1 cup TOASTED BREAD CRUMBS

1.) In a 10- to 12-inch sauté pan, combine 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and the onions and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are very soft and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Set aside
2.) Meanwhile, bring 6 quarts of water to boil in a large pot, and add 2 tablespoons salt. [kind of a jump here] Soak the anchovies in the milk for 10 minutes.
3.) In another 10- to 12-inch sauté pan, heat the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil over medium-high heat until smoking. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until the red pepper flakes are lightly toasted, about 30 seconds. Drain the anchovies, toss them into the pan, and cook, stirring, until they have broken down, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the cooked onions and lower the heat to a simmer.
4.) Drop the spaghetti into the boiling water and cook until just al dente.
5.) Drain the pasta and toss into the pan with anchovy mixture. Add the parsley and stir to coat. Pour into a warmed serving bowl, sprinkle with the bread crumbs, and serve.