How to Make Bigoli in Salsa, Venice's Most Honest Pasta

Peel the onions, halve them, and slice as thin as possible — 2–3mm. A mandoline helps here.

Pour the olive oil into a wide, heavy pan and add the onions. Set heat to the lowest setting.

Cook for 20–25 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the onions are completely soft, translucent, and sweet-smelling. They must not color at all. Add a splash of white wine or water if they start to catch.

While the onions cook, prepare the anchovies: rinse whole salted anchovies under cold water, split along the backbone, remove the spine, and chop roughly. Tinned fillets just need a rough chop.

Once the onions are fully melted, reduce heat to minimum and add the anchovies. Stir continuously for 5–8 minutes until they dissolve completely into the oil and onions. No visible fish pieces should remain.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt lightly — the anchovy sauce is already intensely salty. Add the bigoli and cook until al dente per the package instructions, typically 10–12 minutes.

Before draining, scoop out about 100ml of pasta cooking water and set aside.

Drain the bigoli and add directly to the pan with the sauce over medium heat.

Toss vigorously for 1–2 minutes, adding pasta water a splash at a time until the sauce coats every strand and looks glossy rather than dry.

Serve immediately with a generous crack of black pepper. No cheese — this is a piatto di magro and Parmesan has no place here.