Working ahead: This sauce cooks in no time and is best made just before serving.

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1. Preparing the Anchovies: If you are using salted anchovies, rinse off the salt, then open each up like a book, and gently pull away the backbone running down the center. Soak the anchovies 10 min in cold water, then drain and coarsely chop. If using canned anchovies in oil, drain the oil [into the saucepan if you like] and coarsely chop.

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2. Making the Sauce:

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A. In a 12-inch skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the parsley and cook slowly, lowering the heat so it simmers gently. Cook only 1 minute, or until the green herb darkens.

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B. Stir in the drained, chopped anchovies and cook over medium-low heat for 30 seconds.

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C. Add the garlic and saute, stirring frequently, 2 minutes or until the small pieces turn golden, taking care not to burn it.

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D. Immediately stir in the 1/2 cup water and cook over low heat about 2 minutes, or until the anchovies are melted. The goal is not to evaporate the water, but simply to melt down the anchovies.

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E. Blend in the tomatoes and lemon juice, raise the heat to medium, and cook for minute.

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F. Generously season the sauce with black pepper, and remove the skillet from the heat.

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3. Bring salted water to a fierce boil [2 3/4t salt for each cup water]. My basic pasta cooking method is six quarts boiling water for every pound of pasta you are cooking. Use plenty of salt in the water [it should taste salty]. I'm talking a good 1/3 cup or so for six quarts. Pasta must be salted while it cooks; otherwise, you will never get it seasoned correctly. Keep the water at a vigorous boil and stir often. Judge doneness by taste, not time--taste a strand for tender texture with some firmness or bite.

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4. Immediately sauce the pasta, sprinkle with parsley, and serve. [No cheese accompanies this dish.]