Aglio e Olio

While no one Italian could lay claim to these ubiquitous pasta dishes, family traditions adapted 4 pantry staples: garlic, olive oil, red-pepper flakes and pasta, well maybe 5 if including the necessary starchy pasta water, to make aglio e olio a comfort dish in its self. It is common the add chopped fresh parsley and finish with fresh ground black pepper and parmesan, totaling now 8 ingredients.

You can see where this is going.

Here we have spaghetti con acciughe/alici (anchovies); a basic aglio e olio with added anchovies and briny capers.

Pop didn't use capers, but a lot of starchy pasta water. He called it anchovy soup. Sop it up with good bread.

Pasta vongole (clams and/or shrimp). Ditch the capers, add clams and dry white wine.