Step one Gather your ingredients spaghetti, anchovies, garlic, basil, oregano, bread and olive oil. Totò, whose real name was Antonio Griffo Focas Flavio Angelo Ducas Comneno Porfirogenito Gagliardi de Curtis di Bisanzio, is considered one of the most brilliant comic actors of the 20 th century. Interestingly, this recipe is also associated with one of the city’s most famous sons the actor, comedian, screenwriter, singer and lyricist Totò. However, this is the dish that is traditionally eaten in Naples on St Gennaro's feast day, September 19th. I wasn’t able to discover why Neapolitans named this anchovy pasta after their patron saint.

Every year, the Neapolitans gather 3 times in Naples Cathedral to witness the liquefaction of what is said to be the saint’s blood inside an ampoule! La ricetta di Totò ( Totò’s recipe). Gennaro, also known as Janarius I of Benevento, was bishop of Benevento and a martyr and saint of the Catholic Church. However, this anchovy pasta recipe is more than just a simple dish for the people of Naples.įirstly, this recipe is named after the city’s principal patron saint. With a handful of staple ingredients, you can have this traditional Neapolitan pasta dish on the table in no time. Spaghetti with tomato sauce, aglio e olio, and puttanesca are some that come to mind! Spaghetti alla Gennaro falls in the same category. The Southern Italians are masters at making easy pasta recipes with just a few local ingredients.

Of all the super simple traditional Southern Italian pasta recipes I know, this anchovy pasta recipe from Naples is one of the best! Known locally as spaghetti alla Gennaro, this recipe holds a special place in the hearts of the Neapolitans because it’s named after the city’s patron saint! Easy and simple to do, all you need is spaghetti, anchovies, garlic, stale bread, oregano, and basil to make this version of midnight pasta, also known as Totò’s pasta.

Anchovy paste recipe