Sicilian Spaghetti with Fennel and Onion

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. When the water boils, salt it and add the pasta. Cook the spaghetti to al dente. Heads up: you will need to reserve a ladle of the pasta cooking liquid before you drain the pasta.

   Step 2

   Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and toast them until golden. Remove the nuts and add 3 tablespoons of the EVOO to the same skillet, 3 times around the pan. Heat the oil, then add the bread crumbs and toast them. When they are deeply golden all over, remove them from the heat and season them with a little salt and lots of coarse black pepper, about a teaspoon. Add the parsley and nuts to the bread crumbs and toss to combine.

   Step 3

   Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of EVOO in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, anchovies, and red pepper flakes. As they heat, the anchovies will melt into the EVOO. Stir them in with the back of a wooden spoon.

   Step 4

   Trim the fennel bulb of its tough outer skin. Quarter the fennel bulb lengthwise and cut out the core with an angled slice. Thinly slice the trimmed, quartered bulb lengthwise.

   Step 5

   Add the fennel and sliced onions to the skillet and sauté in the garlic-anchovy oil until they are tender but not caramelized, 5 minutes. Add the chopped golden raisins and the wine to the skillet and reduce for a minute or so. Add a ladle of the cooking liquid from the pasta water to the skillet, then drain the pasta and add it to the sauce. Toss the spaghetti with half the bread crumbs and add salt to taste. Serve the pasta immediately and pass the remaining bread crumbs at the table to sprinkle over the pasta as you would grated cheese.