Creamy Anchovy Butter Recipe (Compound Butter For Pasta)
If you’re an anchovy lover, this Anchovy Butter recipe is about to become your favorite thing. Think of it as garlicky anchovy butter with a squeeze of lemon juice, packed into a smooth paste that you can spread on warm bread, melt over roasted chicken, or swirl into a pasta sauce. It’s one of those little things that instantly takes a dish from plain butter to next level flavor enhancer.
Once you fall in love with this versatile anchovy butter, you’ll want to explore other ways compound butter transforms the table. A classic pesto butter brings fresh herbs and olive oil together into a glorious fat that melts over roasted green beans or juicy pork chops. My pasta con alici leans on oil-packed anchovies, garlic cloves, and a hot pan of spaghetti for a deeply satisfying weeknight dinner. And of course, my tomato sauce with anchovies is an honest answer to simple salt-driven sauces: whole San Marzano tomatoes, garlic, and anchovy paste melt into a pasta water base, creating an umami flavor that clings to every strand.
Recipe Highlights: Savory Anchovy Butter
- Inspiration – Anchovy butter has roots in both Italian kitchens and French bistros, where anchovies are used as a flavor enhancer in compound butters and pasta puttanesca.
- Best Served For – A pat of this butter is the perfect finishing touch for date night roasted chicken, or slathered on warm bread when friends are gathered around a large serving platter.
- What Makes It Special – The richness of the butter meets the sticky juices of anchovies and lemon zest for a flavor that’s far more complex than regular butter.
- Easy and Versatile for a Number of Recipes – This garlicky anchovy butter doubles as an anchovy butter spread for caesar salads or roasted onions—it’s the kind of compatible browser between seafood and roasted vegetables that just works. This would be fabulous melted ontop of steak, shrimp, salmon, or over roast potatoes.
Ingredients Notes
- Unsalted butter – Always start with good quality butter at room temperature. Unsalted butter gives you control over the seasoning; anchovies already bring a punch of simple salt, so you don’t want to risk overdoing it. Softened butter blends into a smooth paste more easily, whether you’re mashing with a rubber spatula or pulsing in a food processor.
- Anchovies – Go for oil-packed anchovies, ideally from a tin or jar, not the dry ones. They’re loaded with umami flavor and glorious fat, which melt into butter seamlessly.
- Fresh herbs – Thyme is earthy and subtle, while rosemary leans bolder, with almost piney notes. Both pair beautifully with the richness of the butter and the garlicky anchovy base. You could also use chives or scallions.
- Garlic cloves – Use fresh, firm garlic — never pre-minced. When grated or finely minced, it melts into the butter at medium-low heat and builds that garlicky anchovy butter base.
- Lemon zest – Zest adds brightness without watering down the butter. A quick run across a microplane turns a plain butter mix into something that pops. Combined with a squeeze of lemon juice, it’s the perfect finishing touch that makes this anchovy butter spread feel lively instead of heavy.
Suggested Ingredient Substitutions and Additions
- Swap thyme for fresh parsley if you want a brighter, lighter finish.
- Add roasted onions (chopped fine) into the butter for a deeper sweetness.
- Use a splash of Marsala instead of vermouth for a jammier side of richness.
- Fold in crushed red pepper flakes or even pepper birds for a fiery anchovy butter spread.
How to Make Anchovy Butter
- Infuse the base – In a small skillet over medium-low heat, melt a couple tablespoons of butter. Add minced anchovies, garlic cloves, and fresh herbs. Stir with a wooden spoon until the anchovies melt into the glorious fat and the garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes.
2. Add depth – Pour in vermouth or dry white wine and let it simmer in a single layer, stirring with a rubber spatula, until nearly reduced. Remove from the hot skillet, stir in lemon zest, and let it cool slightly.
3. Blend into butter – On a cutting board or in a small bowl, mash the cooled mixture into the softened butter with a squeeze of lemon juice until smooth. You can also pulse in a food processor for a smooth paste.
4. Serve or store – Spread onto warm bread, tuck a pat of this butter into a chicken cavity before roasting, or roll into logs with parchment paper, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill.
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Easy Anchovy Butter (Perfect for Pasta)
Equipment
- Small skillet
- Wooden spoon or rubber spatula
- cutting board
- chef’s knife
- Microplane or citrus zester
- Small bowl
- Medium bowl
- parchment paper
- plastic wrap
- Freezer bag
Ingredients
- 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 10 –12 anchovy fillets packed in oil, drained and finely minced
- 2 small garlic cloves grated or finely minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon finely minced rosemary
- 2 tablespoons dry vermouth or dry white wine
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- Pinch of red pepper flakes optional
- Flaky sea salt for finishing (optional)
Instructions
- In a small skillet over low heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the anchovies, garlic, and thyme. Stir until the anchovies melt into the butter and the garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Pour in the vermouth and let it simmer gently for 30–45 seconds, until almost fully reduced. Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon zest, and let the mixture cool for 2–3 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, mash the remaining softened butter with the cooled anchovy mixture and lemon juice until smooth and evenly combined.
- Serve immediately with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt if desired, or roll into two logs with parchment and chill.
Notes
Expert Tips from My Kitchen
- Keep butter at room temperature butter for the smoothest mix.
- Use a small skillet over medium-low heat so the garlic and anchovies melt, not burn.
- Wrap logs tightly in parchment paper before plastic wrap for freezer storage.
- A hot pan of pasta water clings perfectly when you swirl in a pat of this butter.
- Always taste before adding kosher salt—the anchovies already carry a lot of simple salt.
Serving Suggestions
- Wine pairing – Pour a crisp white like Vermentino; its citrus snap cuts the richness of the butter.
- Dollop on roasted chicken and let it melt into the cooking juices.
- Toss with green beans or roasted onions for an easy side dish.
- Spread over warm bread as a great topping for a casual appetizer.
Storage Instructions
- Fridge: Keep wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
- Freezer: Store logs wrapped in parchment paper, then placed in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Slice off what you need straight from frozen.