Recipe: (Italy) Anchovy and Parsley Butter

Winner of the James Beard/ KitchenAid Cookbook of the Year 2000 and Winner of the Beard Award for the Best Writing on Food 2000.

July 6, 2022

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Anchovy and Parsley Butter
Region: Italy
Category: Basic Recipes and Sauces
Season: Any
Difficulty: Easy

This is a compound butter that can be used for a variety of purposes, from spreading on a crostini to tossing with spaghetti. Make this aromatic butter ahead of time; keep it refrigerated and you will have a great seasoning in a jiffy.

Yield: Makes about 1/4 pound
Preparation Time: 5 minutes

1/4 pound (1 stick), unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/4 cup very finely chopped fresh parsley

8 salted anchovy fillets, rinsed and dried with paper towels

2 garlic cloves, very finely chopped

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a bowl, mash all the ingredients together with a fork until they are well blended. Transfer to a sheet of aluminum foil or wax paper and roll back and forth until it is a cylinder. Twist the ends and refrigerate until needed.

Posted: 12/11/2006

My favorite [of the cookbooks reviewed] is Cucina Rapida, a delicious discovery for lovers of Italian food. Most of the recipes can be done in 30 minutes or less, and the flavors are forthright. I’ve cooked a lot from this book since it came out in early summer and have yet to be disappointed. The recipe for Linguine with Shrimp, Spinach, and Lemon is bright-tasting, a memorable supper that I will make again for my family or for casual entertaining.
- Felicia Gressette, Akron Beacon Journal

The directions [in Cucina Rapida] are clear and simple and the results are delicious. In testing some of the recipes from Cucina Rapida I found that Wright lived up to his promises. The garlic and parsley shrimp was incredibly easy, took less than 30 minutes and provided one of the best meals my family has enjoyed in some time.
- Ann Wesley, Bloomington Herald-Times

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