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Nutritional Values

🔥450kcal
💪16gProtein
🌾62gCarbs
🥑16gFat
🌿3gFibre
⚖️300 gServing

* Per serving · 300 g. May vary.

Allergens

🌾 Gluten 🐟 Fish

Venetian Bigoli in Salsa

How to order / say it
Say it Bigoli in Salsa — [BEE-go-lee een SAHL-sah]
Order I'd like the bigoli in salsa, please.
Locally Vorrei i bigoli in salsa, per favore.
Say locally

Thick spaghetti-like pasta served with an anchovy-onion sauce.

Why try it?

Bigoli in Salsa is a staple of Venetian cuisine, often served on days of abstinence from meat. Its simplicity highlights the inventive ways Venetians enhance basic ingredients with rich flavors, reflecting its maritime legacy.

How it tastes

The thick, chewy texture of bigoli absorbs the densely flavorful sauce made of salty anchovy and sweet onion, creating a perfectly balanced dish. It's both rustic and luxurious in its taste.

Origin & History — first documented: 1600

This dish dates back to the 16th century when wealthy Venetians started using imported products like anchovies. Its tradition of serving on days of penitence promoted its ubiquity in Venetian households.

Recipe

Ingredients

  • 🌾 200 g bigoli pasta
  • 🐟 100 g anchovy fillets
  • 🧄 150 g onion
  • 🫒 5 tbsp olive oil
  • 🌿 2 bay leaves
  • 🧂 to taste black pepper

Method

  1. 1 Sauté sliced onion with olive oil and bay leaves until translucent.
  2. 2 Add anchovy fillets and let them melt into the onion mixture.
  3. 3 Cook bigoli pasta until al dente and drain.
  4. 4 Combine pasta with sauce, tossing thoroughly.

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