Spaghetti with Turnip Greens, Anchovies and White Wine

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At LAPA, we supply Swiss foodservice professionals with over 2,000 carefully selected products — authentic Italian ingredients delivered on time, every time. Because great cooking starts with a supplier you can count on.

This recipe comes from Puglia, in southern Italy — a region that has turned simplicity into a culinary philosophy. Turnip greens with their clean bitterness, anchovies that melt into warm olive oil releasing a deep umami base, garlic, chili and a splash of dry white wine that ties it all together: the result is a pasta dish with remarkable depth, easy to execute and impossible to improve upon.

🏛️ Tradition

An iconic dish from Apulian peasant tradition: proof that humble ingredients, handled with knowledge and care, produce something far greater than the sum of their parts. Turnip greens and anchovies — two bold, assertive flavors — reach a precise equilibrium in this dish. Generations of cooks have served it. The best restaurants still do.

🛒 Ingredients

• 320 g Spaghetti
• 1 kg Fresh turnip greens (cime di rapa)
• 10 fillets (approx. 40 g) Anchovy fillets in olive oil (drained)
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 1 unit Fresh or dried chili pepper
• 80 ml Extra virgin olive oil
• 50 ml Dry white wine
• 20 g Coarse salt
• 5 g Fine salt

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. Step 1: Clean the turnip greens, removing tough outer leaves and fibrous stems. Separate the florets and tender leaves, then rinse thoroughly under cold running water.
2. Step 2: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 20 g coarse salt. Cook the turnip greens for 5–7 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Reserve the cooking water.
3. Step 3: In the same water, cook the spaghetti according to package directions. Drain very al dente.
4. Step 4: In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the peeled and lightly crushed garlic cloves and the chili. Cook until golden, 2–3 minutes. Do not burn.
5. Step 5: Add the drained anchovy fillets. Melt them into the oil over medium heat, pressing with a fork, for 1–2 minutes until fully dissolved.
6. Step 6: Deglaze with the dry white wine. Cook over high heat for 2 minutes until the alcohol has fully evaporated.
7. Step 7: Add the pre-cooked turnip greens to the pan. Toss for a few minutes to combine. Add a ladle of pasta water if needed to keep the sauce loose.
8. Step 8: Transfer the al dente spaghetti directly into the pan. Toss vigorously for 2 minutes, adding more pasta water as needed until the pasta is evenly coated and the sauce is creamy.
9. Step 9: Plate immediately. Finish with a drizzle of raw extra virgin olive oil.

💡 Chef Notes

• Never discard the pasta and greens cooking water: its starch content is essential for building a creamy, cohesive sauce.
• Cooking the turnip greens in the pasta water saves time and enriches the cooking liquid.
• Adjust chili quantity to match the heat preference of your guests.

🛍️ Order LAPA Anchovies

For this dish, we use Anchovy Fillets in 100% Italian Olive Oil, Caught and Processed in Sicily — 680g Can. Available in the LAPA catalogue alongside over 2,000 products selected for Swiss professional kitchens.

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