Have you ever swapped your garnish of parmesan cheese for garlicky bits of toasted breadcrumbs? This easy pasta recipe comes together in the time it takes to boil water. Toasted breadcrumbs is not a new concept, it’s roots are humble, and it was often a way of using up stale bread. In this simple dish, we’ll add garlic and anchovies (don’t worry if you don’t like them, they disintegrate and leave behind their robust flavor) for a powerful punch of flavor in an otherwise incredibly simple dish.
It’s important to use good, stale, rustic bread for the bread crumbs and reserve plenty of pasta water. The starch in the water will add body to your sauce. In this recipe, we are adding 2 cups of reserved pasta water to the garlic and oil. It sounds like a lot, and it will appear very watery at first, you’ll probably even think you’ve done something wrong. Don’t worry, the spaghetti will absorb plenty and the sauce will continue to thicken as you toss. Keep in mind the breadcrumbs will absorb too, so when it’s time to add the breadcrumbs, add less than half, otherwise you’ll risk soaking up all of that delicious oil, and reserve the rest to bring to the table.
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Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil, plus an extra 1/3 cup
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 5 anchovy fillets
- 6 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 cup bread crumbs preferably from day old rustic bread
- 1 lb spaghetti
- kosher salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
- extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Instructions
- To make the homemade breadcrumbs, use a food processor to pulse pieces of day old bread or the large holes on a box grater to grate the bread. Set aside.
- Bring a large stockpot of water to a boil. Generously salt and add the spaghetti. Cook until al dente, tender yet firm to the bite, according to the package directions. Reserve at least 2 cups of pasta water before draining. Drain well.
- In the meantime, in a saute pan over low-medium heat, add 1/4 cup oil. When the oil is hot and shimmery, add the garlic, saute until golden, taking care not to burn. Turn off the heat.
- In a separate larger skillet or saute pan, add remaining 1/3 cup of oil over low-medium heat. Add the red pepper flakes and cook until toasted, about 1 minute. Add anchovies to the pan, breaking them up with a wooden spoon until they dissolve, about 3 minutes.
- Raise the heat to medium and add the breadcrumbs. Cook, stirring constantly, until they are deeply golden brown, about 5 minutes (don’t be afraid to let them darken, just take care not to let them burn). Remove from heat.
- Carefully add 1 cup of reserved pasta water to the pan with the garlic and oil and raise the heat to medium. Season lightly with salt.
- Add the spaghetti to the garlic and oil and toss to coat evenly, when the pasta water is mostly absorbed add the remaining 1 cup of reserved pasta water, season lightly with salt and pepper and continue to toss until the pasta is well coated, but not watery. The sauce will thicken as you toss – keep in mind the breadcrumbs will also absorb some of the liquid and the pasta will continue to absorb as it sits. Turn off heat.
- Add less than half of the breadcrumb mixture to the pasta and toss well to distribute evenly. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and serve immediately. Sprinkle some breadcrumbs on top of each serving and serve the rest of the toasted breadcrumbs at the table.
Notes
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This just goes to prove that simple can be so, so delicious. The perfect amounts of flavor and love the bread crumbs on top for some texture. The perfect side or main dish!
Yes! Thank you, Karly. 🙂