Spaghetti with a Mint-Basil-Anchovy Pesto & Spanish Olives & Hot Pepper

The other day I made this kind of mint/basil sauce to go with my rack of lamb dish I was serving for a dinner party. The sauce has garlic and anchovies as well, giving it lots of that umami flavor. I thought it would work really well in a pasta dish. To keep things interesting I add Spanish olives stuffed with anchovies and then finish the dish with lots of Parmigiano Reggiano and aggressive amounts of hot chili flakes.

Ingredients (serves 6-8 as a first course):
-leaves from 1 large bunch of basil
-leaves from 1 large bunch of mint
-1 whole garlic clove, peeled
-10-12 anchovy fillets, chopped (do not rinse or wash)
-Extra virgin olive oil
​-Juice of one lemon
-1 can of Spanish olives stuffed with anchovies
-1 pound best quality dry spaghetti
-Parmigiano Reggiano for grating
-Chili flakes

In a blender or food processor combine the basil, mint, anchovies and garlic. Add about 1 cup of oil and blend, drizzling in more oil until you have an emulsification. Add the lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Given that we did not rinse or soak the anchovy fillets it is probably not necessary to add any additional salt. If you are using fresh anchovies or fillets soaked in vinegar then you may need to add a bit of salt to taste. Pour the pesto into a container and chill in refrigerator until ready to use.

To make the dish put a large pot of salted water on the stove and bring to a boil. Drop your pasta and cook according to the package instructions, removing the pasta about 1 minute before it's perfectly al dente. While the pasta is cooking pour the pesto and Spanish olives into a large sauté pan and heat very gently (do not boil). Add a generous amount of chili flakes and stir through.mWhen the pasta is ready use tongs to transfer to the pan and toss for 30 seconds over medium-low heat. If the sauce looks a bit tight or dry add a little pasta cooking water.

Place the pasta onto plates and serve each dish with liberal amounts of grated Parmigiano Reggiano and extra chili flakes as desired.