Amalfi Coast - Cetara

Cetara is a small and unassuming coastal village removed from the hustle and bustle of the more famous towns on the Amalfi Coast route. It would be easy to breeze through Cetara in search for more dynamic and lively locations if it wasn’t for one famed delicacy.

Cetara has a thriving seafood industry particularly red tuna and as such is not quite as dependent on tourism leaving this village largely untouched by overdevelopment, and open to authentic cultural experiences and local foods.

The village was originally settled by Arabian pirates around 880AD and later conquered by the Normans. When it was attacked by Turks in the mid-16th century, the village built the Tower of Cetara, to defend its coastline. Most of the village was eventually abandoned until the few residents that remained joined the municipality with Vietri until 1833 when it gained its independence. 

Now you might be wondering what that famed delicacy was. It came in the form of the small bluefish that many of us find too strong in flavour and extremely salty - the anchovy. Since Roman times, Cetara has been perfecting a special anchovy sauce known as Colatura di Alici (anchovy drippings). The sauce contains only two ingredients: anchovies and salt. Taking a wooden barrel the anchovy fillets are layered with salt, sealed and left to ferment for several years. During this fermentation process the anchovies release liquid which becomes the sauce. When the process is complete a hole is made at the bottom of the barrel and the sauce drains through the anchovies and then bottled. The final sauce is a transparent, amber-coloured liquid that is sparingly used on various dishes including pasta and pizza. As you might imagine this lengthy process creates a product that is both a specialty and expensive. Using it sparingly would make for a wise decision and long lasting bottle.

With that in mind and always willing to explore new flavours, I went in search of a Spaghetti con la Colatura di Alici in one of the local restaurants. In its simplest form this pasta dish is reminiscent of the well-known Aglio e Olio Pasta (garlic and oil pasta) except that it is flavoured with colatura. Savouring each forkful of twirled spaghetti coated in olive oil, I enjoyed the hints of garlic and pepper flakes, the subtle saltiness of the anchovy sauce, the acidity of the lemon zest and the lightly toasted breadcrumbs for a little texture.