The spaghetti with anchovies and breadcrumbs are a super quick and very tasty first course. This is one of those dishes that even if the fridge is empty, you can still bring a nice tasty and economical meal. It is prepared in a few minutes, just the time to cook the pasta. For the recipe, I used salt-packed anchovies, but those in oil are also fine. The same goes for the type of pasta, in this case, spaghetti, but if you prefer short pasta, it’s just as good.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 1 Person
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 3 oz spaghetti
- 3 tbsps breadcrumbs
- 2 salted anchovies
- 1 clove garlic
- to taste parsley
- to taste dried chili pepper (optional)
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste black pepper
Tools
- Kitchen scale
- Cutting board
- Pot
- Frying pan
- Colander
- Wooden spoon
Steps
To prepare the spaghetti with anchovies and breadcrumbs…
First, heat the water in a pot to cook the pasta. When it boils, toss in the spaghetti and cook for the minutes indicated on the package.
In a non-stick pan, without adding anything else, toast the breadcrumbs over low heat for a few minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon. Be careful not to burn it. Then pour it into a bowl.
Rinse the pan you just used, dry it, pour in the extra virgin olive oil, and sauté a peeled and halved garlic clove over low heat. When it is golden, remove it and turn off the heat.
Then take the salt-packed anchovies, remove the tail, head, and central bone inside, then rinse them well under cold running water.
Chop the anchovies with your hands and put them in the still warm pan. Keep a few pieces for the final garnish.
When the spaghetti is cooked, drain it, keeping some cooking water aside, and pour it into the pan.
Sauté the spaghetti for a few minutes with the oil and anchovy sauce, flavoring with fresh chopped parsley, pepper, and dried chili pepper (I did not add salt, as the anchovies already give the dish the right saltiness). If necessary, add some pasta cooking water to mix everything well.
Serve the spaghetti hot, garnishing with some leftover anchovy pieces and a sprinkle of golden breadcrumbs.
